Red Apples and Silver Hooks
by iSporticus1234
Summary: She opened her eyes and looked directly at Ben as if to confirm it. Ben looked at her, which only confirmed her suspicion. "The final two villain kids to join us will be Uma and Harry Hook." Mal dropped the library book she was currently holding and turned her head towards Evie, not missing the way Evie's smile and eyes lit up slightly when he said the name "Harry Hook".
1. Chapter 1: Start of the Semester

**A/N**

 **Hello everyone and welcome! I've had this story in the works for a bit and decided to release it for you all to enjoy. The story will mainly focus on Evie and Harry as they navigate their feelings for each other and overcoming new trials post Descendants-2. I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think! I love reading your opinions and your thoughts on the story.**

 **Disclaimer: Characters and names of places, events, etc. are based on the Isle of the Lost Series from Melissa De La Cruz. They are not mine.**

* * *

Auradon never seemed so peaceful. The unmistakable aura of school and the impending fall season was beginning to surround Auradon Prep. For now, the leaves were a lush, vibrant green that would soon turn into warms hues and shades of brown and orange. The corridors of Auradon Prep were as busy as ever, with new first years arriving and returning students settling back in their dorms and catching up with friends. Often times, the registration office was filled with disgruntled dorm mates or students trying to switch classes around. It seemed like every time you turned around, there was a new problem that had to be dealt with.

Evie herself had never seen the full dosage of fall until she got to Auradon. The Isle had only been a place of gray cold and wetness, all the trees and vegetation dead and devoid of life, but all of it changed when she came to Auradon almost a year ago. Auradon was a sharp contrast to the Isle, with its cheerful and sunny disposition, not to mention all the fresh and tantilizing food it offered. But what Auradon offered her was a second chance in life and a chance to find herself and her place in the world. She let out a contented sigh before she removed her gaze from the window and back to the sewing machine on her desk, where she was currently positioned.

The machine made the only noise in the room, as Mal had been quietly reading on her bed, in preparation for an important visit. Auradon would be hosting Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana from the Bayou de Orleans in Towering Heights in a few weeks, and in order to make a good first impression, she had checked out a few books on the history of the place and traditional customs. She still wished she had her spell book with her to help read through the hundreds of pages bound in leather, but Ben appreciated the effort she was putting in to not use magic for everything.

The months since the Royal Cotillion have flown by in a flurry. Year-end examinations had come and gone, meaning Evie spent more time with her fashion line and making a multitude of dresses for the next big dance and event: Castlecoming. The thought of recruiting someone to help her floated into her mind a few times, but she never found someone up to her standard. She was currently working on Lonnie's dress, which needed to be done soon as Lonnie has scheduled a fitting in a few days, hoping to get a jump-start before everyone else who would need a dress. The new semester was starting in three days, and the event committee (which had included Audrey and Jane) decided to give themselves a head start on preparing for Castlecoming and the upcoming family day event. However, that wasn't what kept her fully busy.

What kept her fully busy was her new position as Royal Adviser, a position offered to her by none other than King Ben. Her Saturday afternoons were now spent sitting in Ben's office discussing the royal happenings around Auradon and all the problems the residents had. The next big event to hit Auradon was the arrival of the new villain kids in two days' time. Ben, Mal, and Evie have had multiple meetings on who needed Auradon and its goodness the most. Through multiple discussions, Evie and Mal had their say, but ultimately, the decision would rest on Ben's shoulders. Evie and Mal just hoped that Ben would make a smart decision. While Ben was incredibly smart, he was also way too trusting and naive when it came to matters pertaining to the Isle, evident by his first trip there months ago.

Because the meetings and her fashion line kept her incredibly busy, she unfortunately ended her relationship with Doug a few days after the Royal Cotillion. The two amicably parted ways and still remain good friends. Evie knew Doug was a great guy and anyone would be lucky to have him, but Evie felt deep down inside her that they weren't truly meant to be together. She saw the love that Ben and Mal had for each other, and while she had loved Doug, she didn't love him the way Ben and Mal love each other.

With a relieved sigh, Evie turned off the sewing machine and slouched back in her chair, finally finished with Lonnie's dress. If her mother ever caught her like this, she would've been grounded for a month. Not that it mattered much because she would always sneak out and return later on; she was and still is a villain's child after all. The sigh caught Mal's attention, and she looked up from the book and looked at her best friend, giving her a small laugh.

"You know", Mal said, "You wouldn't be so exhausted if you didn't work on these dresses twenty-four hours a day. You still have weeks to prepare."

Evie gave her an amused scoff before turning at looking at her. "I know, but given the fact I haven't even made my dress yet, I had to make sure everyone else got theirs done before fittings. Plus, your dress took up most of my time since you of all people have to look better than everyone else, Lady Mal" She teased, sticking her tongue out at the purple-haired girl in a playful manner.

While Mal had grown appreciative of the new look and perks that came with being a Lady of the Court, she still preferred her punk-rebel attire from time-to-time. It reminded her of where she came from and how far she had come. With the Isle being the only home she had ever known for sixteen years, it still brought a small sense of comfort to her.

"Just tell me that you reduced the severe amount of ruffles and capes from it?"

Evie chuckled at her remark. "Don't worry. I wrote down everything you wanted, so just be patient. You'll absolutely love it."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "Come in!" Evie shouted to the person on the other side of the door. The door opened, and there stood Ben, wearing his casual king crown, a huge smile, and he carrying a tablet in his hand. He greeted both girls before sitting down on Mal's bed. He threw an arm casually over her shoulder and pressed a light kiss to her temple.

"So, your highness, to what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?" Evie began the conversation.

"With the new semester coming up so soon, I have been busy planning on which new villain kids are coming to Auradon at the start of the semester." Ben stated.

Mal and Evie's ears perked up at the news. They still had no clue on who would be chosen to come. The list was endless and the arguments for every villain child was strongly support, but the priority was for the ones who needed it most right now.

"As long as it's not anyone I utterly despise with a passion, Ben." Mal said, narrowing her eyes as a warning. It didn't get pass them that her archenemy's name was tossed into the hat, and they spent quite a bit of time discussing what to do with her and her lackeys.

Ben gave her a sheepish look before getting up and pacing in front of the door, the tell-tale sign of nervousness. Mal and Evie both looked at each other, worry starting to etch their faces, and worry was never a good look to have according to Evie. Worry caused far too many wrinkles and acne marks.

"As I said, I believe these four need our help the most. So to begin," Ben powered up the tablet in his hand and tapped on it, opening up the notepad app. "The first new villain kid to join us in Auradon will be Dizzy Tremaine."

Evie let out a delighted squeal at the news. Dizzy was always her surrogate little sister, and every day since Ben firmly stated that Dizzy was coming to Auradon, Evie had been bouncing off the walls, like she was injected with a double shot of espresso. Mal herself couldn't stop the small smile growing on her face. Dizzy had such an infectious mood that even the most cold-hearted villain could feel a sliver of it.

"Dizzy was chosen because she has practically no evil bone in her body. She was constantly picked on by the other villain kids and was often the brunt of their pranks and jokes. She would fit in perfectly here in Auradon. As you said before Evie, Dizzy has so much potential, and Auradon can give it to her." Ben said.

Evie had always known that Dizzy was picked on by the others. Her own mother picked on her for not being evil or bad enough, but no matter what was thrown at her, she never lost touch with who she really was. She took it for what it was and never gave up hope that her efforts would one day be rewarded.

"The next villain kid to join us", Ben said, "Will be Gil."

Mal quickly looked over at Evie, and Evie could practically see her mind trying to put two and two together. She had a gut feeling she knew where this was headed.

Ben was quick to notice the tension and tried to diffuse it as soon as possible. "Gil was never the brightest apple in the basket, and he always seemed to go with the flow of everything. Having him here in Auradon should be an easy transition for him, if you all help him out of course."

Mal gave him a signature forced laugh, while Evie closed her eyes and braced herself for the next two villain kids. She opened her eyes and looked directly at Ben as if to confirm it.

Ben looked at her, which only confirmed her suspicion. "The final two villain kids to join us will be Uma and Harry Hook."

Mal dropped the library book she was currently holding and turned her head towards Evie, not missing the way Evie's smile and eyes lit up slightly when he said the name "Harry Hook"; however, Evie was the least of her concerns right now.

Mal got off the bed and slowly moved towards Ben like a jungle cat stalking its prey before going in for the deadly blow and feasting on the remains.

"YOU INVITED SHRIMPY OF ALL PEOPLE TO AURADON?!" Mal shouted before her eyes flashed a dangerous color of green.


	2. Chapter 2: Evie's Story

"Mal, before you finish anything…"

"No, Ben!" Mal shrieked. "I refuse to let her into any part of Auradon. She knows what she did! She's caused nothing but trouble ever since we met her."

Evie, sensing the impending fight, quickly turned her attention to Lonnie's dress, placing a hanger on it and adding it to the rack of dresses that needed to be fitted. She thumbed through the rack, pretending she was interested in the clothes and not the conversation between the King and Lady. Unfortunately, the volume of Mal's voice made it incredibly difficult to ignore or tune-out.

"Mal, what did Uma even do to you anyway? Last time I checked, it was me she had problems with because I never invited her here at first." Ben tried to explain.

"WHAT SHE DID TO ME?!" Mal roared. "Not only did she kidnap you and hold you for ransom, she tried to steal the wand and the trident, and let me trip and laughed at me the entire time I slid down the dock back on the Isle!"

This revelation caused Ben to laugh, but one look at the hard, cold glare from Mal made him realize it was the wrong reaction to have.

"Your whole problem with Uma was because she laughed at you during a prank that went wrong?" Ben questioned, a mixture of confusion and amusement in his voice. This was why Mal and Uma had problems with each other?

"You don't get it Ben. I'm the daughter of Maleficent. I should have been the most evil on the Isle. No one dared to laugh at me. You always laughed at someone else and never received it yourself." Mal explained, trying to control her rising temper. "Besides, you offered her to come back with you and she didn't even take it, so shouldn't that have been a clue?"

Ben set the tablet down on the desk and took both of Mal's hands into his, and took a deep breath, trying to explain his reasoning. "Mal, my offer to Uma never expired. I wanted her to come in order to help me make it better for the people on the Isle. Even though they are villains and deserve the punishment for what they did, they shouldn't have to scrounge around like animals to survive."

"What convinced Harry to come, Ben?" Evie piped up, not missing the look Mal gave her when she asked it.

"Harry only complied to come because Uma and Gil were coming."

At this news, Evie's spirit deflated a little. She had hoped he would come for her, but if he only came because Uma was coming, her inner anxiety proved her doubts to be correct. She wouldn't blame him one bit however. He and Uma were friends much longer than she and he were.

"I still don't trust her at all" Mal said, causing Ben to sigh.

"Mal, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Both my parents and practically everyone believed I made the wrong decision and didn't trust you guys at all when you first came to Auradon. I had to fight for you guys and show that I knew what I was doing. Granted, it didn't help when you knocked Chad out at Family Day or tried to steal the wand at my coronation, but in the end, you all chose to be good. The same thing could happen to them, but only if you give them that chance."

Mal opened her mouth to retort and make Ben see the error in his thinking, but seeing the raised eyebrow and tilt of Ben's head, realized that the point he made was better than any argument she could come up with on the spot.

"Fine," she conceded. "She can come to Auradon. But if she dares to step a single toe out of line, she's going to find herself at the bottom of the damn fish bowl. Got it?!"

Ben held out his hand to Mal. "Deal" he replied. Mal extended her hand into his to shake on, but Ben quickly pulled her into his body and locked lips with her, completely forgetting they were not alone. Both of them pulled away and turned a light shade of pink once Evie cleared her throat in a dramatic fashion, bringing them back to present-day reality.

With that cue, Ben picked up his tablet, bid his goodbye and exited the room. Evie quickly returned to her distraction of the dresses, hoping to avoid the impending conversation with Mal.

"Oh, don't think you're getting out of this one so easy, E. You still have to explain yourself." Mal said, the tone suggesting that this wasn't voluntary.

Evie, wincing at the tone of voice, replied, "I think it's best if I say it in front of the guys as well. They have just as much right to know as you do."

* * *

"Wait, so Ben really picked Uma and her crew to come to Auradon in two days?" Carlos asked, setting the refilled water dish down for Dude. A few days after the Royal Cotillion, Mal created a counter gummy to the one that Dude ate. Having him talk led to disastrous consequences and pretty awkward moments, especially between Carlos and Jane, who still get flustered in romantic and intimate moments.

"That means that Harry and Gil would be asked to try and join Tourney. Not that it's a complete problem considering they may be better than some of the princes on the team." Jay replied before understanding what he just said. "Don't ever tell them I said that." Tourney try-outs were happening in a few days time, and given his role as temporary captain, he had to oversee the new, hopeful recruits.

Evie gave him a small laugh; even Carlos quipped up a smile.

"Gil and tourney right now are the least of our concerns" Mal said, trying to bring the conversation back to its original topic. "What I want to know is why Evie lit up at the news of Harry coming to Auradon. Care to explain?" Mal said, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.

Carlos and Jay looked at Evie with stunned expressions. This was certainly news for the entire group, which meant that Evie did an excellent job at keeping Harry a secret from them. She knew that she had to tell her story and let out a sigh, running a hand through her blue trusses.

"Harry and I were actually good friends believe it or not" Evie began, walking over to the window to look out over the rose garden outside, hoping this view would make it easier to tell the story. Even though she wasn't looking at that, she could feel their piercing, cold stares on her back.

"Outside of Carlos, Harry was one of my first friends on the Isle. On the outside, it looked like we had a rocky relationship filled with hate and disgust. We would always be sarcastic towards each other or we would banter back and forth, trying to one up each other with who could be nastier.

"However, we really bonded over the fact that we would never live up to our parent's expectations. I would never find a prince on that Isle, no matter how many times my mother told me I would. Captain Hook always wanted Harry to explore the seven seas as he did and captain his own boat and not be a first mate. Captain Hook was always condescending towards Harry, and even Harriett and CJ.

"Eventually, my feelings grew to be more than friendship, and Harry and I started to date secretly. We agreed to keep our relationship hidden from everyone out of fear of what our parents would say and think, but it got harder once we started getting into our groups and started rivaling with them. Harry told me not to worry about it, but it kept eating me up inside. We broke it off at my request, although he didn't take the break-up lightly. He tried to convince me to keep seeing him, but I couldn't, especially because of you Mal. He took the news hard, left and didn't say a word. Truth be told, I never lost feelings for him, and until today, I thought he never did as well, but it looks like he did."

Evie wiped the lone tear that fell from her eye and turned back to face the group, who all looked at her like she grew two heads. After a few quiet moments, Carlos broke the silence, and his voice was a mixture of confusion and hurt.

"But Evie, why didn't you at least tell me? I was your first real friend considering the circumstances."

"I know Carlos, but for the sake of everyone, I thought it was best not to tell anyone" Evie explained.

"You were dating a pirate and didn't feel the need to tell us?" Jay said, anger slowly rising in his voice after comprehending what Evie had just told them. In his mind, this was an unforgivable sin.

"I know Jay, but as I had just stated..."

"But nothing," Mal cut in. "You went and fraternized with the enemy who happens to be the friend of my archenemy. I thought we were better friends than that Evie. Friends don't keep secrets from other friends, especially something as large as this."

"I know Mal, and for that I'm sorry. But just maybe, this could be my chance of getting my happily ever after. Even though he may be with Uma, I'm not giving up complete hope just yet. You all got your happily ever afters. Why can't I get mine?" Evie asked in a desperate attempt to make them see things from her point of view.

"You can get your happily ever after, just not with a freaking pirate. Let's not forget the evil things he's done to us and who he did them with" Mal said, trying to convince Evie this was the wrong choice.

"Oh really Mal? Considering you locked me in a closet filled with traps, you really want to go there right now? Let's also point out that you were going to let me fall into a 1,000 year cursed sleep" Evie fired at Mal. They may be best friends, but Evie always stood up for herself as well.

Jay stood up quickly and stepped in between the two girls, sensing an impending fight that may end with Mal turning into a dragon again. "Ok everyone calm down. Let's not say anything we're going to regret."

Mal opened her mouth to defend her past misdeeds, but once she saw a tear escape from Evie's eye, she closed her mouth and looked at her surrogate sister with understanding and sympathy. Harry was really important to her, and by her present reaction, he still is important to her.

"Fine, I'm so... so... sorry too Evie. If your happily ever after is with Harry, then we need to support you. Ben told me to try and have hope for them, and if I can do that, we can do this for you."

Mal and Evie hugged each other tightly, the previous tension slipping away and being forgotten. Jay and Carlos also stood up and wrapped them in a group hug. Before long, the curfew bell sounded, signaling to everyone that they had five minutes to be back in their dorms.

"One more thing," Carlos announced before the group disbanded for the night. "Is the reason why you broke up with Doug because of Harry?"

Mal gave Evie a little smirk. "A year in Auradon and you still have a little devil attitude in you."

"Ok, maybe it was a small, tiny detail. But I didn't feel the love towards Doug that you all have with Ben, Jane, or Lonnie. Doug deserves someone who is completely in love with him, and I can't give him that" Evie said.

The final curfew bell sounded, and the girls had to reluctantly leave the dorm and head back to theirs. They linked their arms together and headed down the corridor, their footsteps dampened by the rug underneath them.

Evie broke the eerie silence in the empty and deserted corridor. "It's going to be a long semester isn't it?"

Mal just gazed straight ahead down the corridor, filled with shadows casted by the full moon creeping in through the large, picturesque windows that lined every corridor in the castle.

"It sure is, E. It sure is"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **For anyone confused about the timeline, this is how I broke it down myself and will use throughout the story. I estimated the original four joined a few days after the start of the semester (late August, early September). In the prequel book to _Descendants 2_ , it mentioned that Carlos had finished his exams and that he was ready for the next semester, which to me sounded like it ended in fall, which meant family day and Ben's Coronation happened in the fall. _Descendants 2_ to me then would have taken place in the winter/spring semester considering Mal stated she had to go to class. Because _Descendants 2_ was set** **roughly** **6 months after the first Descendants, this would place _Descendants 2_ roughly around late January, early February. Often times, big dances happen in the winter/spring semester, so the timeline to me made sense. This story takes place at the beginning of the new fall semester, giving the original four roughly a year in Auradon.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Final Night on the Isle

A layer of fog had covered the Isle yet again, giving it a chilling and eerie glow and aura. For all the stereotypes that Auradon held for the Isle, it certainly lived up to its name of being creepy and shady. The fog just seemed to echo how run down the Isle was and how anarchic it was. Its first queen was soundly defeated, and its previous queen would be gone shortly to begin her new life. The Isle was a free-for-all now; no rules, no order, and no ruler.

One of the lesser-known facts about the Isle was how it was the calmest in the morning, particularly the early morning hours. Lady Tremaine was asleep above her hair shop, Ursula rarely ventured outside the house these days, the Evil Queen always made sure to get her full beauty rest, and Captain Hook was such a deep sleeper that not even a piercing scream could wake him up from his dreams. Perhaps the reason why the Isle was so calm in the morning was because no shop owner bothered to have set hours; they only opened up shop whenever they felt like it, which is why Lady Tremaine never opened up Curl Up And Dye until midnight. It wasn't like there were crowds of people rushing in to buy anything. Almost everything was used or hand-me-downs from all the people of Auradon.

The calmness and quietness of the morning was broken by the sound of heavy pirate boots and the clanging of silver rings walking along the docks. For most people, this was cause to panic and turn the other way. For the dock workers and dwellers, it meant one thing: Harry Hook was out and stalking about, trying to find his latest victim. One of the most intimidating pirates the Isle has ever seen, no one dared get in his way or else they would be on the receiving end of one of his famous "hookings."

Harry ventured down one of the docks and stood at the end, crossing his arms and resting them on the railing. From this distance, he could see the sliver glow of Auradon, its bright glow shining like a siren mermaid, calling out to the people on the Isle before they met the reality of the barrier. Once or twice, the lure of Auradon had caught a dimwitted pirate trying to escape, only to have them ram their small rowboats into the barrier. Escape attempts were futile without magic or a limo, but not everyone knew that fact.

Harry turned his head over his shoulder at the sound of a trashcan being knocked over by one of the dock shops. As luck would have it, it was Anthony Tremaine and Ginny Gothel up to their usual lackluster villainy. It was safe to say that Anthony and Harry did not get along at all. While the descendants of villains, Anthony was weak in his villainy, and Ginny was almost as mad as Mad Maddy, though she would vehemently deny it.

"Well, well, well" Anthony drawled, nudging her side with his elbow. "Look what we have here Ginny."

Anthony and Ginny made their way onto the dock Harry was on, and started to approach him, hoping to rile the pirate up. Anthony had always started things, but Harry was sure to always get the last word.

"Well, if it isn't the Auradon boy." Ginny sneered. She spat on the ground at the words "Auradon boy", as if they were unclean.

"I think you meant to say the 'failure of the Isle', Ginny. Remember the sword fight he and Uma lost to those traitors?" Anthony said, amusement clear in his voice.

Ginny cackled, causing Harry to turn his attention to the "annoying twerps" as he so called them. It was clear that they weren't going to leave him alone until they got a reaction out of him.

"Unless ye want that jacket in one piece, Tremaine, I suggest ye beat it." Harry said, his voice dangerously low.

"I'd watch what you say, Harry. Auradon doesn't take threats nicely." Anthony replied with a grin on his handsome face.

"I'm not in Auradon yet, pretty boy" Harry said while circling the group of two. "Don't have tae be good for now."

Harry saw Anthony swallow hard, and even Ginny scooted over towards Anthony a bit, hoping to put more distance between her and the silver hook in his hand.

"Unless ye want tae be hooked, beat it."

Even though Harry was going to Auradon, he still was incredibly intimidating. Anthony, knowing the seriousness of Harry and his unpredictability, turned on his heel and stalked off with Ginny following close behind, her hair bouncing with every step.

Harry went back to the end of the dock and looked back over Auradon. Tomorrow, he would leave the Isle and head off to Auradon, a chance given to him by their shedding beast of a king named Ben. But what also waited for him at Auradon was a certain blue-haired princess who had stolen and crushed his heart.

He remembers that day like it was yesterday. He first saw her wandering down the docks on an errand for her mother. Like Cruella de Vil, the Evil Queen liked to have first dibs on the cargo that arrived from Auradon, especially all the beauty products and fragrances the Auradon kids threw out when they grew tired of them. She had captured his attention and gaze by the way she flirted with the dock workers to get the supplies. A misfit and a flirt he called her at that point. Evie spotted him as well, giving him a small smile once she saw him watching her from another dock.

Throughout the next few days, Evie would "get lost" on her errands, hoping to run into the pirate again. As luck would have it, they did, and the conversations and banter that followed left Evie wanting more. Sure, it helped that Harry was good looking and had the flirting skills of Gaston, but that wasn't what attracted her to him. Harry was a mystery, and he was a mystery she hoped to figure out.

Harry was drawn to her not by how beautiful she was, but by how she returned all of his insults and witty, sarcastic remarks with ease. Very few people ever stood up to him and challenged him, and if they did, it often meant a hooking. But when it came to Evie, it was like the scent of vanilla and lavender, sweet and refreshing, and Harry was intoxicated by it.

A friendship soon followed, leading into a hidden relationship from the public. Harry felt on top of the world when he was with Evie. But it soon changed when she voiced her concern over Mal and the other VKs. Sure, Harry didn't care much for the VKs, especially Mal and Jay for what they did to Uma, but it didn't stop him from seeing Evie. One day, the secret got too much for Evie to hide from Mal and Jay, and she broke it off with him. He pleaded with her to reconsider, even using Mal's closet plot against her, but Evie refused to budge, and Harry stormed out of Ursula's Chip Shop, angered and hurt.

But nothing hurt more than the announcement that Evie and her gang would be taken to Auradon. Harry and his friends were forgotten, a feeling no one wanted to have. Evie, in a surprise visit, stopped by the Chip Shop on her final night on the Isle, hoping to make amends. Although he refused to speak to her, he listened to her when she said that she would come back in a few days. He scoffed at the notion, leading to Evie storming out while simultaneously calling him an ass.

The day seemed to come when his princess was coming back. The barrier was broken and Maleficent had escaped, but the hope of escape for everyone died when Mal defeated her mother and chose good. Harry realized his princess wasn't coming back, and his heart was filled with anger and desire for revenge. He had one glimmer of hope when Evie and her gang came back to the Isle months ago, but it was only for Mal and the king he kidnapped and held for ransom. Evie had escaped him again, defeating them in a sword fight and taking back Mal and Ben.

Their defeat was the hottest gossip around the Isle, and Harry received the nickname of "failure of the Isle", a term he heard constantly from Anthony Tremaine and Captain Hook. Harry became the subject of condescending insults and statements made by his father, who often said them in front of Harriet and CJ as a warning of what not to become.

Uma herself almost made it to Auradon when she slipped through the barrier before the Royal Cotillion. But after the Cotillion, she was spotted off the Strait of Ursula, where she was captured and promptly returned to the Isle, absent of her mother's necklace, which now had a place in the museum. Frustrated by her three failed attempts to escape the Isle, she finally caved in and accepted Ben's proposal when it reached her.

While she saw this as a way to get off the Isle, Harry saw it as his second chance to win back his blue-haired princess, and he was going to do it at whatever cost.

* * *

"I still don't know why ye got picked tae go and I didn't" Harriet, his older sister, said.

She and Harry were sitting in the Chip Shop, munching on some fried clams and chips, which served as Harry's final dinner on the Isle. It wasn't often that these two spoke considering Harriet had her own crew she ran around with. When the rare occasion presented itself, they often met at the Chip Shop, where Harry had full access to the kitchen and everything in it.

"I'm telling ye one last time. Uma got picked, and since she's ma captain, I had tae go as well" Harry said, reaching out and picking up some chips before dipping them in day-old expired tartar sauce. Most people would cringe at the sight, but it was the only thing that made the food somewhat tasty according to Harry.

Harriet let out an annoyed sigh with an eye roll to match it. "When are ye going tae learn that Uma is no longer yer captain? Yer only going tae a snotty prep school with no access tae a ship at all. Seems like having a captain and first mate is unnecessary."

Harry shot his sister a warning glance, but she refused to back down. Harriet was one person who wasn't intimidated by Harry at all. Harry was still loyal to Uma; however, he would never admit that his loyalty to Uma was now in second place behind Evie. He questioned Uma at times, but he never questioned anything Evie said. Harry eventually broke his gaze and reached down to grab a fried clam.

"Be mad at me all ye want, but deep down, ye know I'm right" Harriet muttered under her breath.

"Ahh shut yer trap Harriet" Harry grumbled.

The wooden doors to the Chip Shop flew open, and CJ waltzed on in like she owned the entire place or even the Isle for that matter. She spotted her siblings at a table by a window and made her way over. Noticing a lack of chairs at the table, she promptly shoved another patron out of his chair before dragging it over to Harry's table.

"Aye ye damn runt! What the hell do ye think yer doing?!" the disgruntled patron shouted at her.

All three Hook children shot the patron menacing glares, with Harry's mouth slowly turning into a psychotic smile. The patron shrunk back and grabbed another chair from an unoccupied table.

"Are ye sure this isn't for another reason besides Uma?" Harriet had asked as CJ grabbed a handful of chips to eat.

"Ya, are ye sure this isn't for dad? Ye know, getting revenge on Pan for his hand?" CJ asked.

"I think I know" Harriet said. "This must be for that girl he dated...Evie."

Harry, trying to be un-obvious, did the most obvious thing in the world and avoided the looks from CJ and Harriet.

"I knew it!" Harriet exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the table. "Ye still have feelings for that girl!"

"Shut yer trap, Harriet. I do not" Harry retorted.

"Ye know, I always though ye would end up with that Gothel girl" CJ said as she moved her hair out of her face.

"If I ever get feelings for that Gothel girl, throw me tae the sharks, got it?"

Harriet gave him a laugh; Harriet had had issues with Ginny ever since Mal's Hellraiser party when Ginny insulted her dress.

"Ye know", CJ said, "Evie only wanted tae date a prince, and I doubt a prince wants tae date a villain kid, so ye still have a shot."

"But she ain't a villain kid anymore, CJ. They all chose tae do good. She could have anyone she wanted" Harry said.

"Oh please. No one is more spiteful than them snotty Auradon brats who think they're so much better than us because of who their parents are and because we're all stuck here for all eternity. Well, almost all of us" CJ said, giving Harry a dirty look. Deep down, CJ and Harriet were upset at not being chosen, and Harry knew this, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Uma's voice rang out from the middle of the shop.

"We're closed! Unless a crocodile bit off your leg, I suggest you beat it!" Uma may be short for her age, but she could make grown men urinate themselves by a simple look.

Knowing the shop would be closed soon, Harry and his sisters left and headed down the dark alleyways back to the docks. Harry walked between his sisters, acting like the older, protective brother he is. They may fight often and get on each other's nerves, but they all still looked out for each other.

They made their way down to Uma's ship, where Harry would spend his last night. They stood on the deck of the _Lost Revenge,_ looking out over the horizon. The soft lull of the waves hitting the boat was the only sound at that time. Even at night, the barrier surrounding them caused the stars to look dull and listless. But still, they hung there in the sky, mocking and teasing the residents of the Isle of what they will never be able to have.

CJ broke the silence that befell on them.

"Promise me this, Har. Promise that ye'll do everything ye can tae bring us over?" CJ looked at Harry with a distraught look on her face.

Harry knew the tone of her voice. This was the voice CJ used when she wanted a moment of weakness between her siblings. If you ever met her out in public, you never would guess that the vibrant and sassy CJ would ever have a soft side. Harry turned his gaze over to CJ and took pity on her. While they spent their time convincing themselves and others of how Auradon was nothing but a snotty school, his sisters were hurt at not being picked. The Isle was no place for children to live.

Harry pulled CJ and Harriet into a hug, wrapping an arm around each of them.

"I promise."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This should be the final chapter that hopefully explains the back-story of Harry and Evie and also give you a glimpse of the final night on the Isle and the aftermath of _Descendants 2_. The story and "Hevie" will start to pick up after this now that the formalities are out of the way. **

**I know it may seem Harry is a little OOC, but I always felt that the villain kids had a soft side in them for certain people, maybe to make up for the lack of care and love their parents never showed them. Your family is your crew, Harry would say, and one was always loyal to their crew. On a related note, I always felt that Harry was only mad at the VKs and Ben for being traitors and for being forgotten and left behind. Of course, him being loyal to Uma meant that he also hated them for what Mal did to Uma that started their rivalry.**

 **On a side note, you may be wondering why CJ is in this story. For me, the events of the _Wicked World_ series never happened, so I'm following along the book-movie-book-book-movie plot line for this story (Melissa De La Cruz's books and the movies). However, since Freddie, Jordan, and Ally are mentioned in the second book _Return to the Isle of the Lost,_ I figured CJ would have existed as well, and I believe she was never formally invited to Auradon, but only got there as a stow-away in the _Wicked World_ series, so for me, she's still stuck on the Isle. I wouldn't make a big deal of it considering this will be her only appearance as the rest of the story will take place in Auradon. While other characters that are in the _Wicked World_ series may be mentioned, they won't have a significant role in the story.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Morning Before

**A/N**

 **Happy reading everyone and thank you all for your kind words and support of the story!**

* * *

The past two days were nothing but a blended mixture of pure excitement, panic, and nerves. Ben, Mal, Fairy Godmother, and Ben's parents oversaw the entire overhaul of Auradon Prep in anticipation for the arrival of the new villain kids, hoping the first impression would kick-start their transformation to good. The lawns were perfectly manicured, every shrub and bush perfectly trimmed, every window sparkling and spotless, walls and floors scrubbed and clean, and every wooden surface dusted. Auradon Prep looked like a castle out of a fairy-tale, where every prince and princess lived in happily ever after.

While Ben and the others spent their time overseeing the overhaul of Auradon, Evie and Doug were given the task of setting up the class schedules of the new villain kids and prepping their dorms. Evie happened to notice that a certain pirate was going to be in three of her classes. Was it a pure coincidence or was it a slight of hand trick from someone else? Whatever the cause was, Evie couldn't help but be excited and nervous at Harry being in her classes. If you were to ask anyone else however, Evie was a bundle of nerves the past two days and she rarely left her dorm room unless absolutely necessary, spending most of her time on the family day outfits and the class schedules.

Dizzy Tremaine was a curious case for Evie and the rest of Auradon Prep. Considering she was only eleven, she wouldn't be in any classes with Evie but in classes more age appropriate with students like Pin, Pinocchio's son. However, a silver lining fell upon Evie one day. She managed to successfully persuade Ben to have Dizzy's dorm be two doors down from her. The only downside: she had to dorm with Uma of all people. Auradon hadn't anticipated one of their transfers being so young, and with every other girl her age being paired up, they had no choice but to put her in a room with Uma. Harry and Gil would obviously be in a dorm three doors down from Jay and Carlos.

Carlos was the only one in the group who voiced his concern over having Harry and Gil so close to them, knowing how unpredictable the group was. Truth be told, Evie also had this feeling, but never voiced it to the group, feeling she was still on thin ice with them over her secret romance. Jay and Mal repeatedly assured them that nothing would happen to them. Jay and Mal had become the group's older brother and sister per se, looking out over them and defending them when needed. The VKs were a family, and no one would be able to break that family, not even pirates from the Isle.

Finally, the morning of the big day had come. The moon still hung outside amongst the thousands upon thousands of tiny stars, but the thin, orange glow on the horizon meant sunrise was coming. Evie slowly opened her eyes and let out a huge yawn. If her mother saw her now, messy bun and all, she would've gotten a stern lecture that a princess always had to look her best, even when she woke up. Evie sat up in bed and reached her arms overhead in a long body stretch, trying to bring life into her heavy, sleep-ridden body. She pushed the covers off and made her way over to the plush chair by the window. She slowly peeled back one of the curtains and looked up at the sky.

Evie had always started her morning like this before she began her awfully long beauty routine. She never was able to leave the house until she looked absolutely perfect, even if it meant waking up at the crack of dawn. But Evie had always liked the quiet times by herself. It gave her a chance to have deep thoughts with herself and work through any issues she would be facing. But her deep conversation with herself this morning couldn't find a solution to the Harry and the pirate problem. Harry was going to be here soon, and Evie had no choice but to accept it. With a conclusive sigh, she stood up and trudged her way over to the bathroom, ready to begin her day.

An hour and a half later (a new personal best to Evie), she emerged from the bathroom with perfectly groomed eyebrows, sharp-winged eyes, and lips covered in her favorite shade: Candy Apple Red, a symbol to represent her new life in Auradon. She walked over to her closet, careful not to step on any of the discarded fabric on the floor and any other accessories for her customer's dresses. She couldn't afford to be late with her orders or else she'd be dealing with very angry princesses, particularly one Audrey.

She automatically picked out the dress she planned to wear for weeks. It was one of Harry's favorites (truth be told, anything she wore was a favorite of Harry's). The blue color of the dress perfectly complimented her skin tone and made her eyes sparkle like someone had dropped some fairy dust in them. Slipping the dress on over her head, she carefully tied the straps behind her neck and smoothed it out. Reaching into her shoe bin, she picked out the heeled boots she loved so much and slipped them onto her feet. She grabbed the cropped red leather jacket off the hanger and placed it on the bed before sitting down in front of the mirror on her vanity.

Looking over her reflection, something was missing. It wasn't the tiara she always wore, but she knew something was missing. She opened one of the drawers and searched around in it before she finally found it. A pearl bracelet. It wasn't a birthday gift from her mother, but from a blue-eyed pirate with connections.

Harry had given it to Evie one day completely out of the blue. It was a pearl bracelet he made himself from old, discarded fishing line and some pearls that fell off from a broken necklace sent from Auradon. He managed to snatch them before anyone else, thinking they would have some value on the Isle, but pearls were practically useless on the Isle considering there was no occasion in which one would wear them. Tracing her fingers gently over it as if it would break under her touch, she carefully clasped it around her wrist and held it up in front of her face.

"Perfect" she whispered, hoping to avoid waking the dragon that slept in the bed next to hers.

In the mirror, Evie saw Mal stirring in her bed. Mal slowly opened her eyes before bolting straight up in her bed.

"What time is it?!" she desperately asked Evie, hoping she wasn't late for today.

Evie gave her an amused smile, knowing Mal never really broke her habit of being late. Her spell-book prevented her from being late in the past, but now that it was in the museum, Mal was reduced to being a mortal like everyone else.

"Relax, it's only a little after seven. Breakfast isn't until eight so you still have time."

Mal let out a small breath of relief before getting out of bed and sitting in the plush chair previously occupied by Evie. She looked over Evie and immediately zoned in on the bracelet around her wrist.

"That's a new accessory. Is Evie's Hearts now going into the jewelry business?" Mal teased her.

"First of all, it's 'Evie's 4 Hearts', something you should know considering you're asked who you're wearing every time an event happens. Second of all, I just felt like wearing pearls today."

"Uh huh" Mal said. "Is this because someone is expecting a certain someone today?"

Evie only gave her small smile, confirming what she said was the truth.

"Honestly, I'll never understand what you see in him, but you do you girl" Mal replied before standing up and heading over to the bathroom.

* * *

An hour later, the group was sitting in the cafeteria, enjoying a delicious breakfast. Mal went back into the line to grab some more strawberries. Ben was supposed to join them this morning, but he had to take care of a last minute emergency. The entire cafeteria was abuzz with the news of the new villain kids who were due to arrive soon. Evie was too nervous to eat anything (a really bad habit she picked up after her first major chemistry test), but at the persistence of Carlos, she begrudgingly ate a piece of toast with apple jam on it and slurped down a cup of coffee.

"I still don't see the big deal. It's not like they can try anything bad here. If they did, they would be expelled anyway, like how we almost were when we tried to borrow that speedboat" Jay said after swallowing a piece of egg.

"Do I constantly have to repeat myself?" Evie asked, slightly annoyed. "Like I said, he seems way too attached at the hip with Uma. Second of all, it's Harry, Uma, and Gil. We never know what they're up to anyway."

"And like I said" Mal said, taking her seat back at the table and setting down the filled bowl of strawberries. "They aren't going to try anything or else they'll be back to rotting on the Isle."

Carlos let out a small breath of relief. While he may have grown in his confidence and bravery, Harry still gave him the creeps. Of course, Harry did that to any normal person.

Lonnie eventually joined their table, taking her seat next to Jay. Her and her brother often ate meals together, and it so happened to be one of those mornings that they did. After Cotillion, Jay had asked Lonnie to be an official item and Lonnie had quickly accepted his proposal before dragging him off to her dorm. They were known as the athletic power couple given that they were the captains of the Tourney and R.O.A.R. teams. Lonnie managed to notice the lack of food in front of Evie after greeting everyone around the table.

"Evie, you ok? Last time you didn't eat much, you had a Magical History exam. Come to think of it, you never did eat much before big tests."

 _Leave it to Lonnie to not miss a single thing,_ Evie thought.

"Evie's fine. She had some cereal and bacon before you got here so she's full" Mal said quickly, hoping to avoid _that_ conversation. Evie looked over at her best friend and gave her an appreciative smile.

"You know, I'm surprised Ben allowed Uma and them to come. Last time we saw them, they tried to kill us and Uma spelled Ben to try and bring down the barrier" Lonnie said, continuing on the path that no one else wanted to go down.

"Lonnie, don't..." Carlos tried to cut in.

"I mean, Uma did turn into a giant ass octopus at Cotillion after Mal freed Ben."

"Lonnie" Jay said, causing her to look at him. With a slight shake of his head, Lonnie picked up on the hint he was trying to give her. She gave Mal an apologetic look, not knowing the real reason behind the awkward moment she created.

"So, what classes are guys excited about?" Evie asked, diverting the conversation again.

Carlos' eyes immediately lit up, and he went into a long monologue of how exciting his new classes sounded. Language of the Stars and Politics of the Palace were looking to be his favorites. Carlos was always the nerd of the group, and he had once or twice managed to anger the registrar's office by trying to sign up for more classes and credits than allowed, but it was just who he was. He eventually turned the conversation to Tourney and who may make the team and their upcoming chances in the season.

Evie silently tuned out the conversation and her surroundings, staring down at the empty plate on her tray. She felt an aggressive tap on her shoulder, and she looked up to see who was behind it.

"What? What did I miss?"

"Fairy Godmother came over and told us we had ten minutes until the limo is here" Mal said.

With that, the group began to diverge. Jay and Lonnie stayed behind to help clean up the table, Carlos went to take Dude on his morning walk, and Evie and Mal went into the bathroom. Well, Evie went to the bathroom. Mal had an impromptu jog in the hallway trying to catch up to Evie.

"E, wait!" Mal shouted as Evie managed to slip into the bathroom. Mal had to put her arms out to stop the door from slamming into her face. "What's the problem now?"

"Mal, you don't get it! He's going to be here in ten minutes" she said, taking shallow breaths and letting her nerves race. "The last time I saw him, it didn't end well. Go back even farther, it still didn't end well. And you know how Harry is; he's not one to let a grudge go or let revenge pass him by."

"So you left on bad terms. So did Uma and I. Big deal. Like Carlos always says, 'forgive, forget' right?"

Evie could only chuckle at what she said, knowing that Carlos had that mantra on the Isle as a way to explain his bad behavior.

"Mal...put two and two together. Harry...me...revenge."

Mal had a look of concentration on her face, until her eyes met Evie with a look of complete understanding. She wasn't scared about Harry the person. She was scared about what Harry would do to her once he got here. Evie had nowhere to hide. And with Harry and Uma being close, Harry had another ally in his plot for revenge. On the Isle, Evie was flanked by Jay and Carlos. But now, Harry was sure to find her when she was alone and exact his revenge on her.

"The bracelet though...?" Mal asked with slight confusion in her voice.

"Only using it in an effort to soften him up a bit." Evie said, fidgeting with the bracelet between her fingers.

"Don't worry E. It's going to be alright" Mal said in a comforting voice while placing her hand on Evie's shoulder. "If he and Uma start to attempt anything, we have your back. They won't try anything funny. And if you still feel weird, just go into a public space. Besides, Ben had those peepholes and locks replaced on the doors after Chad started to sneak into Carlos and Jay's room all the time."

"Leave it to Chad to ruin things for everyone these days." Evie and Mal shared a laugh before Evie gave Mal a hug. "Thanks, M."

"Besides, it's not like I can't turn into a dragon and breathe fire or anything" she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Evie let an amused smile grace her lips. "I still don't know how you did that."

"Trust me, neither do I."

Evie and Mal linked arms and exited the bathroom, ready to confront their pasts.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I thank you guys for the support and the views of this story so much. I truly didn't think you guys would like it this much. The only time I ever wrote creatively was a short fiction story for my Introduction to Literature course back in my freshman year of university three years ago. I only scored a 90% on it, and trust me, that was a miracle for me. Outside of that and this story, the only things I wrote were research papers and informative papers for classes.**

 **Let me know what you guys think!**


	5. Chapter 5: Journey to Auradon

The morning on the Isle had been like it always was: gray, cold, and foggy. The streets were littered with trash and half-eaten rotted food. However, this morning wasn't the same as all the other mornings previously. Everyone was up and about in anticipation of the big event: the transfer of the villain kids. A black, sleek limo rolled up the pot-holed streets before coming to stop in front of the _Lost Revenge._ The chauffeur exited the limo and opened up the trunk.

The limo had been exactly like the one Uma saw a year ago. The black paint that was incredibly sleek you could go blind looking at it, the royal flags that stood on the hood of the vehicle, and the chauffeur decked out in his black suit, sunglasses, and ear piece. Uma inwardly smirked, knowing the guy probably hated coming to the Isle. The only one who genuinely seemed interested to come to the Isle was Ben and look where that got him. She dropped her trunk on Gil's foot before opening up the limo's door and entering.

The limo was such a sight to see that most, if not all of the Isle residents crowded around it, trying to get a glimpse of it and see what it held inside. If one were to look inside, they would see the clean, leather seats and the massive amounts of sugary drinks and sweet-tasting candy waiting to be devoured. The group of people not only blocked the path for the limo to drive out, but they blocked the path of Harry trying to reach the limo. If there was one thing Harry hated the most, it was people blocking the path or any hallway in Serpent Prep.

"Move it, ye bastarts or I'll shove ma' hook down yer throats" Harry threatened to a group of pirates standing directly in front of him.

Quickly, the group parted and distanced themselves from Harry. He may be going to Auradon, but he still has a fearful reputation on the Isle. He dumped his trunks near the trunk of the limo before climbing into the limo.

"Bye Harry" a group of girls called out to him. Wherever Harry went during the day, he always had one or two admirers who would follow him, hoping they would be the lucky girl who would hook his heart.

Harry threw them a wink and blew them a kiss before the door slammed shut in his face. He smirked as he saw the girls reaching out to grab the "kiss." While he was a flirt, he never had actual affections for any of the Isle girls. The trunk closed with a bang, and the chauffeur made his way to the driver's seat, starting up the limo and driving off towards the southern point of the bay where the bridge was.

"I don't know why you toy with them, Harry. Just tell them you're not actually interested in them" Gil said after swallowing a smores-type snack he found.

"Why, Gil? So they can all rush to anywhere but your front door to ask you out?" Uma said.

Dizzy giggled at the insult before remembering where she was and who she was with. Dizzy was the odd one out in the group. The other three had pirate attire and were the best of friends, and yet there she was in her paint-splattered dress and shoes and thick rimmed glasses. It was like the reverse image of Cinderella at the ball. Turning her giggle into a cough, she reached out and grabbed some fruit-flavored candy strings.

Harry, who was looking out the window as the limo drove through the Isle, turned his attention to the candy in front of him. It didn't happen often, but Harry's eyes grew so wide that Uma thought they would pop out of his head. There were sodas, fizzy fruit water, and juices of all kinds, looking cool and refreshing, while the candy was delicious and tempting him to take a bite. It looked better than all the food in the Chip Shop, though no one admitted it out loud. He reached out and took a lollipop and eyed it curiously. Shrugging his shoulders, he popped the candy in his mouth, and Uma swore Harry swooned at it.

"Easy there, Harry. There's more coming in Auradon." Uma said with a smirk on her face.

"Shut it, Uma" Harry said returning her smirk.

The ride had been smooth until the driver pressed the button to open the bridge. While Uma, Harry, and Dizzy expected the bridge to appear, it had caught Gil off-guard. Gil freaked out so much that he slid over into Harry's lap before Harry promptly shoved him off and onto the floor. This caused another giggle fit with Dizzy, and even Uma quirked up a smile. Gil was often the brunt of their jokes and abuse, but honestly, Gil never seemed to mind. Uma still kept him around as he provided some use to her.

After crossing the bridge, the sharp contrast between the Isle and Auradon became apparent. All four of them pressed their noses up to the windows to see it. The gray cold of the Isle was replaced with the bright warmth of Auradon. Everything was so pristine and clean that it almost looked unnatural to Harry. _If there was a place for the princess to be, it certainly was here,_ Harry mused.

"Now I know we're in Auradon. There's no trash or dead rats on the street" Uma said.

While the landscape was much different than what Harry had grown up with, it was a welcome change. He wouldn't admit out loud that Auradon was already a better place than the Isle, even though he had been in it for about two minutes. The sun shone vibrantly as it was no longer dulled by a barrier. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and not one person on the street attempting to steal someone else's basket of food. Harry couldn't imagine what Auradon Prep would look like, or even what the other regions of Auradon looked like. If it all looked like this, Harry would never want to leave.

Gil grabbed another handful of food and shoved some of it in his mouth before the limo coasted to a smooth stop in front of a castle with hundreds of people standing in front of it, holding signs and clapping their hands. The chauffeur got out and opened up the back door, sticking his head inside.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep."

* * *

Evie stood outside the castle next to Mal, slowly twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. It was another habit she picked up when she was nervous. Mal was standing next to her with her hand clasped with Ben's, while Carlos, Jay, Lonnie, and Jane were standing behind them. Fairy Godmother and Ben's parents were standing a little ways next to Evie, waiting for their opening speeches and remarks. The rest of the student body were scattered around the entrance to the school, some ready to play their instruments and other holding welcoming signs.

Evie couldn't help but look around at the four couples holding hands or having their arms wrapped around their partner's waist. She let out a sigh, wishing that she could have what they have. She did once, but that was a long time ago. She wished that this time, it wouldn't slip through her fingers.

Mal, sensing Evie's discomfort, reached out the hand that wasn't clasped with Ben's and placed it on her shoulder again.

"It'll be ok Evie" Mal said, giving her a smile.

Evie gave Mal a look of gratitude and returned her smile. If you were to tell Mal and Evie two years ago that they would be close friends, they would've poisoned you or thrown you off the Isle.

Ben looked over at Mal and gave her a smile, happy to see that Mal was being the comforting and gentle best friend. He lifted up their clasped hands and placed a kiss on the back on her hand.

"One of the many reasons why I love you" Ben said before giving her a kiss on her cheek.

Mal went slightly pink at the compliment (or was it the kiss on her cheek), still not use to the terms of affection Ben showed her. Ben and his family made a pact one day to show Mal and the other VKs the love and affection they lacked on the Isle, and while Mal was appreciative of their efforts, it still felt a bit weird and unnatural.

"Hey guys, I see the limo!" Audrey shouted from her place next to Chad. While still broken up, they were back on speaking terms with each other, much to the annoyance of Audrey.

The limo coasted to a stop before the driver cut the engine and stepped out. He opened the back door of the limo before going back to open the trunk and unloading the luggage. Those holding the instruments took it as their cue to start playing.

It came at her so fast that Evie barely had time to brace herself for the impact. A colorful blur ran straight at her and wrapped her arms around Evie's legs, squeezing as tight as she could. To say that Dizzy was excited to see Evie would be the understatement of the century. Even Jay and Carlos let out amused chuckles at the sight.

"I'm so glad you came" Evie confessed, wrapping her arms around Dizzy's upper back.

"It's just like everything we imagined. It's so pretty and perfect and beautiful and stunning..." Dizzy trailed off while twirling around trying to take in all the sights, afraid that she would miss something important if she blinked. She only heard the stories from Evie, but now that she was really here, everything seemed to be bigger and better. Evie just stood by and giggled at the sight. At least Dizzy could be a welcoming distraction.

Gil stood in front of them with a smile on his face and a hand raised in greeting. No one would have ever guessed he was the son of Gaston by the first impression. Of course, it wasn't much of a first impression considering he had food in his mouth. Uma smacked his head, and some of the food and crumbs flew from his mouth and landed on the ground. Even Uma couldn't stop herself from looking around the place. Though it was not her original plan, she had finally made it to Auradon. Her mission was finally completed.

Before long, Evie heard the unmistakable sounds of clanging silver rings and heavy pirate boots. Jane let out a frightened squeal, hiding her face in Carlos' neck. Carlos wrapped his arm around her tighter in a protective gesture. Even Fairy Godmother and Ben's parent's took a second to fully register the sight in front of them. Some of the students let out small gasps of shocks and took small steps back. Only Jay, Lonnie, Evie, Mal, and Ben stood straight and still, completely unfazed by the sight in front of them. From their places, Audrey bit down on her lip and Chad had a horrified look on his face.

Harry Hook was finally here.

* * *

Harry looked exactly like Evie remembered him. He wore that black pirate hat and the moderately shredded white shirt that showed some skin. Evie bit down on her lip remembering how that skin rippled and goose bumped under her fingers. He still had those black shin-length trousers and the black pirate boots, scuffed from years of use. All the accessories were there: his brown belt with the silver rings, the red sash above it, black finger-less gloves, and the red leather coat tail jacket. He still held that hook in his left hand, and Evie couldn't help but notice it looked much shinier than usual.

His overall appearance didn't change much except for two things. The guyliner he wore looked a lot more smudgy and messy, yet it didn't detract from his overall attractiveness, even with the disheveled and wild hair. The second thing: the bandana he wore under his hat. Evie noticed that it was still the faded blue one he wore, but it had some red thread as a trim around the edges. Evie only noticed it because she added it to his bandana as her "claim" on Harry.

She quickly diverted her attention to a now interesting patch of grass hoping that Harry wouldn't catch her staring at him. However, she knew by the slight chill that ran down her body that Harry was looking directly at her.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep everyone!"

Ben let go of Mal's hand and stepped forward to introduce himself only to be punched on the shoulder by Gil, as if they were old friends and didn't have fathers who rivaled against each other. He offered his hand to Uma, but she simply looked at him and didn't shake his hand, using hers to move her turquoise braids out of her face. Uma may have been reduced to accepting a free ride to Auradon, but that still didn't mean her pride got in the way of things from time to time. He offered his hand to Dizzy, who took it and shook it vigorously, making Ben chuckle in amusement. Evie held her breath for what happened next. Ben finally got to Harry.

"And welcome to Auradon Harry…Harry…Harry?"

Dizzy stepped on his foot, causing Harry to turn his attention down to her.

"Aye ye runt! Watch where ye be stepping those damn feet" Harry said before looking at where Dizzy was pointing.

Harry placed his hat over his heart and gave Ben a small bow, being the resident dramatist of the group. While he may be a pirate and a scoundrel (a pet name by Evie), he still respected royalty when he was in the presence of it. Harry wouldn't admit it, but his respect for the king grew a bit after seeing Ben sword fight and escape from Uma's clutches.

Evie noticed this display and gave herself a small, quiet laugh. This was still the same Harry that would bow before her every time he saw her or gave a sarcastic remark. At first, it annoyed Evie to no end, but then she took a liking to it, realizing it was Harry's way of being charming. What she didn't know was that Harry only did it to her, as he felt the other girls weren't worthy of his complete charm and attention.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep, you four!" Fairy Godmother said. "And yes, I am that Fairy Godmother."

Uma let out a snort that wasn't meant to be heard, causing Harry to quirk up a smile and Mal to shoot her a dirty look. If this was anyone else, Mal would've laughed, but since it was Shrimpy, it was considered offensive and rude. Uma caught Mal's stare and flipped back her braids again, completely unfazed by Mal. Evie noticed the action Harry did and her spirit deflated. _They were together._

"All the information will be provided in your dorm rooms. Your trunks, books, and schedules are in there as well. Library hours are from eight to eleven and as you know, I do have a thing or two about curfews" Fairy Godmother explained, adding a giggle at the end of her statement.

Evie snapped out of her trance and stepped forward with Doug, ready to begin her part of the "welcoming committee."

"Evie and Doug here will show you guys around and get you settled in. Remember at Auradon, goodness doesn't get any better!" Fairy Godmother said in a singsong voice, causing Uma to slightly cringe at the sound. The people here were much too perky for Uma and Harry's taste.

Fairy Godmother and the others soon scattered and went back to their daily routines. Audrey quickly caught up to Jane in order to prepare for family day and Castlecoming. Carlos, Jay, and Lonnie were heading to the Tourney field to get in some pre-season conditioning, while Ben and Mal ran off for their date. _And other things,_ Evie inwardly smirked. Once or twice, she had caught Mal coming back to the room with purple, disheveled hair and Ben looked chipper during meetings after spending some time with Mal.

Evie cleared her throat, trying to build up her confidence and shove down the nerves threatening to erupt from within her.

"Let's get started."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thank you to whoever added my story to the Hevie community. If you guys love Hevie stories, one of my personal favorites is _Hooks and Poison Apples_ by Foreverdelighted. That story is fully completed and the second story is the series _Hooks and Hearts_ is currently in progress. Foreverdelighted also wrote some short stories about Harry and Evie so make sure to check those at as well!**


	6. Chapter 6: Tour of Auradon

Harry could not stop himself from staring at Evie. She looked exactly as he remembered her from months ago. The same air of royalty and elegance surrounded her like a halo; she still had that tiara that she never left home without. But what caught his eye was the bracelet on her wrist. Harry had to do a double take, thinking it wasn't real, but there it was: the pearl bracelet he had made her. He always thought Evie would throw it out of the limo and into the sea once she got out of Auradon to spite him, but she kept it all this time. His rough exterior wouldn't show it, but his heart softened at the gesture. Perhaps Evie wasn't as mad at him as he thought.

Before he totally zoned out, he felt his arm being smacked by Uma.

"What?" Harry asked, annoyed.

"We're moving so stop panting like a dog at Evie and move forward" Uma said.

Harry looked up and saw that everyone but he and Uma had moved forward. Dizzy was holding Evie's hand and Gil was following close behind Doug. It took him a moment, but he finally realized what Uma said.

"What do ye mean 'stop panting like a dog at Evie'?" Harry asked.

"Harry, you may not notice it, but it's obvious. You still have feelings for that girl, even if you don't want to admit them at all." _Damn Uma being right again._

Uma was one of only two people Harry ever confided in about his feelings for Evie, outside of his family of course. And while Gil didn't have a problem with it, it took Uma longer to get on board with it because of who she associated with. Fortunately for him, Evie was one of the trivial concerns she had with the VKs. Her main problem was with Mal.

Harry and Uma slowly followed behind the rest of the group, passing the statue of the former king in the maze of hedges before entering the entrance hall of the castle. The outside of the castle was gray stone and filled with beautiful flowers, but the inside was almost a complete opposite. The entrance hall was flanked by two large staircases, all made out of wood. The large windows on the second floor let ample sunlight flow into the hall, leaving the chandelier hanging from the ceiling absent of its use. A large fireplace stood in the middle of two doorways, and the unmistakable smell of wood polish floated in the air and crept into their nostrils.

"Coming in from the front, if you head left, you will run into the cafeteria, where all meals are served. Going straight ahead leads you to a public room, where other people like to hang out. Going to the right will take you down to the offices and administration areas" Doug said.

"All dorms are located on the first and second floors. Your dorms are upstairs and to your right. Girls with girls, and boys with boys" Evie said in a nonchalant voice, trying to mask her nerves.

Some students were hanging around the entrance hall and public room, catching up on what they did over the summer and what classes they looked forward to. But once the transfers moved passed them, they all turned silent and stared. A few students pointed at the group, while some of the girls batted their eyelashes at Harry, including that one girl Audrey. Harry, being the teasing flirt, gave her a smirk, which Audrey might combust from, before following the others through the public room with intention of going to the back courtyard.

Doug and Evie led them outside to the back courtyard, where more students were gathered. The courtyard had picnic tables painted in blue and gold to reflect the royal colors of Auradon Prep. There were large trees that provided ample shade from the sun, and every patch of grass was neatly and delicately trimmed. Some students were munching on snacks, catching up with old friends, or simply staring at the new transfers.

"Over in that building is where all the classrooms are located. Outside of it is where all the lockers are. To your right is the library, where one of your classes will be. Straight ahead are both the Tourney field and the amphitheater for R.O.A.R." Doug said.

Uma looked tastefully bored with the entire thing. She wanted to get this over with, but it looked like it wouldn't be for another fifteen minutes. Tours and wasting her time were two things she didn't like. If it was up to her, she would've just slipped away to her dorm for a nap; unfortunately, she had no idea where her dorm was. Harry leaned back against the wall of the castle, crossing his arms over his chest, also showing his boredom with the tour. He wanted to get this thing over with so he could pull Evie away for a conversation, but as luck would have it, Evie showed no intention of talking to Harry or even noticing that he was there.

Doug and Evie led the others over to the library, where Dizzy looked like her eyes would legitimately fall out of her head. The library was a massive four-story building, and it housed every book ever made, from fairy tales to textbooks to history of dwarves. Harry couldn't stop his eyes from wandering around. This was a massive place and one place where someone by the name of Gil would get lost easily. Harry had read books before, mostly about navigation and pirating, but this looked like it had more than just navigation and pirating books.

"Just off the side here is a free-access computer lab. And over on the other side is the Remedial Goodness 101 classroom" Doug explained.

Uma and Harry immediately shot Doug a look at the mentioned of the class.

"Uh, excuse me? What the hell is 'remedial goodness 101'" She asked with slight disgust in her voice.

Doug looked over at Evie sheepishly, hoping she would pick up on the cue. Thankfully, she did.

"Remedial Goodness 101 is one of you core requirements here at Auradon. Like the name says, it teaches you to be good and fundamental principles of Auradon society. I had to take it and passed it with an A, so shut up and deal with it" Evie said, with slight annoyance in her voice. Ever since she saw Uma and Harry share a smile and a laugh together, everything Uma did annoyed her, like having your heel break and not being able to change shoes the entire day.

Uma simply looked at Evie and recognized that her best option was to be quiet at this point.

"Like Evie said, all four of you have core requirements here. All of you will take remedial goodness 101, safety rules for the internet, mathematics, grammar, history of Auradon, life skills without magic, and history of woodsmen and pirates."

"Wait, you're making three pirates take a class about the history of pirates?" Uma asked. "Do you not see anything wrong with that?"

"Well...I...I..." Doug stuttered, trying to think of the right thing to say.

"No, we don't see anything wrong with it at all, just like how we don't see anything wrong with sending you back to the Isle. Keep interrupting and we will" Evie retorted.

Uma narrowed her eyes at her, while Harry produced a half smile on his face. This was his princess, the one who didn't take people's crap lightly. She still had that fire in her, the fire that Harry was originally drawn to, and still is. With a flip of her hair, Evie turned herself back towards the entrance of the library. Doug and Evie led them back to the castle, where Evie took Uma and Dizzy to their dorm, while Doug took Harry and Gil to theirs.

"Every dorm has a lock on it because of past break-ins and also peepholes to look out of. We only ask for you to keep the dorm somewhat clean. This was a former castle for King Beast" Doug explained. "If you have any questions, feel free to come find me." And on that note, Doug quickly scampered away back to the safety of his dorm.

Harry opened the door, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. There were two plush beds that looked warm and inviting. A large, circular table with 4 chairs sat in the middle of the room along with two devices resting on it that ended up being cell-phones. Gil reached out and picked one up before hitting a small button, illuminating the screen. Gil, shocked by what he saw, quickly dropped the phone back on the table. On one of the walls was a flat-screen television surrounded by a library of DVDs, CDs, and video games. In front of it were a couch and a coffee table, with two keys placed on top of it. The walls were again made out of wood, and Harry wondered if there were any trees left in Auradon.

Next to each bed was a single closet that looked big enough to house Dumbo the Elephant. Harry's closet on the _Lost Revenge_ was so small that it held at max ten pieces of clothing. Off the other side was the entrance to the bathroom that was sparkling clean. Turning on the light, Harry ventured to one of the sinks and turned the faucet on. Sticking his hand underneath it, he was surprised to find hot water coming out if. On the Isle, there was only cold and colder water, and the water was limited in quantity.

Harry turned back to the bedroom and found Gil passed out on one of the beds, snoring so loud that it could wake up the residents on the Isle. Harry moved over to his bed and removed the stack of papers and toiletry items and moved them to the table. He sat down in one of the chairs and looked over one of the sheets of paper that explained the food and time schedules. Harry couldn't believe what he read. There were three meals a day, plus a fully stocked snack and drink bar in the public room. On the Isle, one was lucky enough to get one meal a day. But now, he had three in Auradon.

He reached out and grabbed one of the books titled "How to Live an Exciting, Magic-Free Life." Harry rolled his eyes at the title and started to flip through the book. Growing up with his father, Harry had basic ideas of life skills, a statement Evie could testify to. His father taught him to keep his cabin clean and tidy, and the cook at the Chip Shop taught him a few recepies when he covered the night shift for Uma from time to time. _Easy enough class,_ Harry thought. Although he did think that mathematics, History of Auradon, and Remedial Goodness 101 were going to be a challenge. While he was smarter than the average pirate, numbers and goodness always confused him, which is why he always let Uma handle those. He was mostly used as intimidation and steering the ship in the right direction.

Harry leaned back in his seat and took a breath, letting his eyes shut and his thoughts drift to Evie. Evie was here in front of him. Her blue hair fell in waves that looked like the ocean and her legs looked long and toned in those heeled boots. Harry remembered running his fingers up them and how Evie shivered at his touch, causing him to smirk. Her eyes stood out, looking like they would pierce his soul like a sharp sword. Her lips looked like plump, juicy strawberries, ripe for the taking. Evie's beauty was his siren, calling out to him but he never reached his demise. He still had hope that Evie and him would be back together. All the signs pointed that way, but he couldn't be sure until he spoke to her.

Opening his eyes and standing up, he quickly made his way out the door, hoping to find his blue-haired princess.

* * *

Harry finally found the right direction toward Evie's dorm. After finding someone to point him in the right direction, which was easy enough with the female population, he slowly strutted his way down the corridor. Unfortunately for him, the one to give him the directions was Audrey. Harry didn't miss the way she was acting towards him. Harry had to admit, she was beautiful and royal as well, but given the fact that she was throwing herself at him was a slight turn off to him. Refusing to even entertain a conversation about her, Harry left Audrey as soon as he found the directions to her dorm.

He was only a few steps away when the door to her dorm popped open. Wanting to make a grand entrance and catch her off-guard, he quickly hid behind a group of plants a few feet away. A few students laughed at the sight, but quickly scampered away once they saw Harry's menacing glare at them. Evie walked out of the dorm with Doug in tow behind her.

"Thanks for the sympathy and talk, Doug" Evie said.

"No problem. To be honest, you didn't look like yourself back there. You looked ready to bite Uma's head off" Doug said with a laugh.

Evie laughed herself and said, "Oh trust me. Biting off her head is the least harm I could do to her considering Mal tried to burn her alive at Cotillion."

Doug let out a laugh, before Evie took his hand in hers in a friendly gesture.

"Anyways, thanks for being there for me. I'm sure your father would be absolutely proud of the man you are today" Evie said.

Doug's face developed a slight pink tinge to it. "Don't mention it. Dopey and Snow always taught me to be like this."

Evie planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, before shutting the door and walking with Doug to the cafeteria.

 _She's dating a dwarf's son? A dwarf?_

Harry was angered at what he just witnessed. Not only had Evie moved on, she moved on to a dwarf. Kind of a downgrade if you asked Harry, but he was too angry to care. Knocking over one of the plants, he turned and went back down the corridor before entering his dorm and slamming the door shut.

* * *

All throughout dinner, Harry kept constantly glancing over at Evie's table, seeing her interact with the dwarf's son and how natural she looked. He refused to even eat anything on his tray, but given that his stomach growled loudly, he had no choice but to dip into his mashed potatoes. At least the food was a welcome distraction to the new transfers.

"So let me get this straight" Gil said after swallowing a bite of his biscuit. "Evie dumped you and now she moved on with a dwarf's son?"

"For the last bloody time Gil, yes, she did. Now shut yer trap about it before I shove ma hook so far down yer throat ye'll be tasting metal for weeks."

"It was bound to happen Harry. You had to know she was going to find someone else besides you. A year changes people" Uma said.

Harry just turned his gaze to Uma, but Uma just tilted her head, as if to challenge Harry to prove she was wrong.

"I'm just saying, time changes people, like Mal and I. We used to be best friends, and now with one incident and a long period of time between that and their departure, we became enemies. Besides, that Audrey was making googly eyes at you all day and she's a princess. Why not use her as revenge on Evie?"

"You're just mad at Evie because she burned you twice back during the tour" Gil said.

Uma shot him a look and threw one of the bread rolls at Gil. Normally, Harry would laugh at the expense of Gil, but he was too busy thinking about what Uma said.

What Uma had said was absolutely true. Audrey was a princess and was flirting with him all day. She would be a perfect pawn in his revenge of making Evie jealous. But Harry couldn't bring himself to do that. He already hurt her once and it was the worst feeling he ever had. He would've pierced his own heart with his sword before ever trying to hurt Evie again like he did.

Uma and Gil had gotten up from the table and went back to the dorms to unpack their belongings. Harry stayed behind and slowly picked at his food, every so often glancing back at Evie's table. Doug must have said something funny, because the next thing he saw was Evie slapping his arm in a playful manner and resting her head on his shoulder.

To say that Harry was furious was an understatement. Not taking any more of what he saw, he shoved his tray off the table, causing its contents to spill on the floor. He got up and stalked off to his dorm, not even bothering to hide the scowl and frustration on his face.

 _Maybe that revenge plot with Audrey isn't such a bad idea..._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **The Hevie action is coming soon, I promise you. Only hang in there for a few more days. It probably won't be what you think, but it might be. Look for it to come near the end of this week or if I am able to, I may add 2 in the middle of the week for your pleasure. Who knows what will happen.**

 **Happy reading!**


	7. Chapter 7: First Day

The large, ornate cafeteria was housing several students this morning. Some were excitedly talking about the upcoming classes over warm breakfast foods, while some students were still sleeping in their dorms, trying to catch up on the last few precious moments of sleep before the reality of school hit them like a truck. Among those still sleeping were Gil and Uma. On the Isle, showing up late was commonplace, and even not showing up to school was often the case for some children. No one bothered to bat an eyelash if a student disappeared for a few days before showing back up at school like they didn't miss a thing.

Mal was also among those still sleeping in. Evie had stopped by earlier and grabbed two trays before heading back to their dorm. What she didn't see was a blue-eyed pirate also sitting in a table tucked in the corner.

Harry was sitting in the cafeteria alone, enjoying his first real breakfast in Auradon: thick, fluffy waffles with warm maple syrup and thick slices of bacon. Harry was infatuated with the food that he went back for a second helping and to top off his third cup of coffee. He always managed to stomach down the "food" on the Isle, but it was never enough. Most, if not all the villain children, were starving as having your food stolen was a common practice on the Isle.

Harry wasn't a natural riser; he much preferred sleeping in and getting up later, but his curiosity got the best of him this morning and he wanted to see if this "breakfast" was real or if it was an illusion. He already got in trouble this morning sliding down the banister and almost knocking Aziz over, so he knew he had to clean up his act quickly. He was given a second chance here in Auradon, and second chances don't often come to pirates. Ben had shown them hope and trust, and while he struggled to admit it, Harry was grateful for the opportunity.

He was enjoying his meal when two figures approached the table and sat down. Harry looked up and saw the last two people he wanted to see: Jay and Carlos. He immediately gave them an annoyed look, showing his distaste for these two individuals.

"What do ye two want?" Harry asked.

"We just wanted to have a little chat with you, Harry. Surely you can give us that?" Jay asked with an amused expression. Harry immediately picked up the sarcasm dripping from the lips of the thief. Jay and Harry always had a strained relationship. It mostly stemmed from Harry's love of raiding and trashing Jafar's shop, and Jay always found enjoyment in stealing Harry's hook and seeing the frantic look on his face when it went missing.

"No, I won't give ye a 'little chat' so piss off. Doesn't yer mommy have chores for ye tae do or a store tae fill?"

"Listen, eyeliner freak..." Jay started, but was stopped by Carlos' hand on his arm.

"Ye better watch that temper, Jay" Harry grinned. "Heard Auradon don't take nicely tae threats. Maybe as punishment, they'll throw ye in that lake. Still can't swim I assume?"

Jay scowled at Harry, knowing that Harry always took pleasure in antagonizing him and trying to drive him to the edge of the anger spectrum. Harry never really took Jay and his threats seriously. Jay was all big talk in Harry's mind, always making threats but never actually following through on them.

"Listen, Harry. We know what happened with you and Evie" Carlos said, finding his voice before it betrayed him.

"What happened between me and the princess is none of yer damn business. So take your noses out of it."

"Listen, we're not going to stop you from seeing Evie. What we will stop you from is getting revenge or anything else on Evie" Jay said. "If I find out that you did, your hook may mysteriously end up in the museum behind a force field and a top-notch security system."

"Touch ma' hook and that dog ye have will be seen thrown off that Cathedral out there" Harry threatened.

"Uh uh uh" Jay said, wagging his finger. "Better watch that temper. Heard Auradon doesn't take nicely to threats."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Jay, knowing he won the battle...for now. He got up and strutted off to his first class: Life Skills without Magic.

Jay and Carlos hopped up after Harry put a good distance between them and proceeded to their first class.

"Harry isn't going to touch Dude...right?" Carlos asked, his bravery and confidence betraying him.

"Don't worry about it, C" Jay said, slapping his hand on Carlos' shoulder. "Harry isn't going to touch Dude as long as I'm around."

Carlos was always seen as the little brother to Jay, and Jay took it as his "brotherly duty" to protect and guide Carlos in huge life events. It was a symbiotic relationship. Carlos helped Jay with his studies, and Jay helped Carlos with Tourney and R.O.A.R. They had balanced each other out perfectly. Out of all the villain kids, Carlos probably had it the worse, being forced day in and day out to be a servant to his mother. During all his abuse, however, Carlos never once used it to ask for sympathy or pity, which is why when he got the chance to go to Auradon, he took it and ran with it.

"Besides, Dude's a smart dog. I doubt he'll let Harry do anything to him" Jay said.

Carlos nodded along, trying to convince himself that Harry wouldn't touch Dude. But it wasn't Dude they were worried about. It was their blue-haired friend.

* * *

Evie casually strolled to the outdoor courtyard to her locker to grab her books. The early fall morning didn't agree with Evie much, so she had grabbed her lightweight sweater in her locker before putting it on over her shirt that had the words "Fairest Of Them All" written over it. It was definitely legging and heeled, leather boot season, and Evie wasn't one to be out of season. Everything she wore reflected the current fashion trends of Auradon, but her VK style still managed to dominate all of her clothes.

She felt much better and lighter after her chat with Doug yesterday. Evie was always so nice and sweet to others that it worried Doug. She confessed her story to him about Harry and her feelings about him, and Doug sat on her bed and listen to every word he said. Doug was wise beyond his years, and Evie knew this firsthand. Doug was never one to judge, and he knew that Evie was going through a lot ever since they started preparing for the new villain kid transfers. Evie's mood felt much better after Dizzy stopped by and brainstormed new accessories and was declared as Evie's official business partner.

Grabbing her book, she shut her locker after checking her reflection three times in the mirror. Satisfied with how she looked, she smoothed down her skirt and headed into the long hallway. Merryweather's classroom was the farthest one down, but Evie managed to turn the hallway into her personal runway, even letting herself twirl while walking down the hallway. She reached the classroom and opened the door. The sight that greeted her in the classroom gave her such a shock that anyone could've knocked her over with a feather. Her heart-rate started to increase and her breathing became shallower.

Harry Hook was in the classroom, with his feet propped up on his desk and his hands clasped behind his head. His jacket was hanging off the back of his chair, exposing the muscles in his arms that formed through years of rope climbing and sword fighting. Evie's lips had gone dry at the sight, and she licked her lips before quickly making her way to the only open seat in the room, behind Harry. The person sitting next to Harry had scooted over to get as far away from him as possible.

"Good morning class!" Merryweather's voice had sounded throughout the room.

After all these years, she still kept her classic blue attire. _Maybe it was time for a wardrobe change,_ Evie thought. Merryweather teaching life skills was ironic considering she was always a proponent of using magic. She had been restricted in using it by the Royal family, and while she managed to present herself as calm and collected, she still had trouble adjusting to not using magic all the time. But she still had more life skills than some of the students sitting in her room, most notably Evie and Harry.

"The syllabus was placed on the tables this morning, so please look over them after class. I shouldn't have to expect trouble from most of you" she said, before giving Harry a sideways glance. She coughed while looking at Harry, who took it as his cue to remove his feet from the desk.

"Anyways, let's start with this week. This week, I will be pairing all of you up to work on an assignment" _Oh no,_ Evie thought.

"I expect you guys to be able to handle this assignment given that it is cooking. I want each of you to present me a food item you have prepared in the cafeteria kitchen. Each group will pick out of my hat a food category and the day you have access to the kitchen. I expect the dish to be presented to me the next day after you make it. You can make anything your little hearts desire."

The class began getting into groups, thinking this would be an easy assignment. After all, it was just following a recipe. Even Sebastian the Crab could do it, and he didn't even have thumbs!

"Oh and Mr. Hook, I've paired you up with Evie. She is my best student after all" she said, giving Evie a dazzling smile that wasn't reciprocated.

 _Dammit,_ Evie thought. Meanwhile, Harry turned his head around to look at Evie and gave her a wink and a grin to match. While Evie took it without showing any emotion, her insides were swooning at the sight. _Damn him and his charm._ She reached into the hat Merryweather presented her and pulled out a piece of paper that read _**Dessert. Kitchen is available tomorrow night.**_

"Ok, now that everyone has their piece of paper, let's begin class!"

* * *

Evie thought the long day would never end. While she felt fine in her other classes, she realized Harry was going to be in her mathematics class and History of Auradon class. At least Harry was always put in front of her in seating assignments so he couldn't see the furious blush she got every time she looked at him.

However, her heart ached when she saw Harry, particularly in math class. They were given a worksheet for review, and she saw Harry struggle through it, letting a swear word slip through once or twice. While he had managed to get a C- on it, Evie knew that Harry worked hard for that grade. She didn't miss the slight disappointment in his face when he got the worksheet back. She knew Harry didn't want to feel stupid, and yet the big C- on the paper in bright red ink made him feel that way. In their History of Auradon class, Harry seemed to be excited at the prospect of going to the museum as a field trip. The museum held multiple artifacts from the heroes and villains from the famous stories, each one locked up safe and tight. Lessons on the Isle were just rehashes of the great villains and their stories. Day after day, Evie and the others had to hear of Lady Tremaine's torture of Cinderella, and they had to endure listening to Mother Gothel's selfishness over Rapunzel.

Uma had refused to look at her in their History of Auradon class, and Evie gave herself a smirk. Uma was still mad at getting burned yesterday during the tour. Evie never had particular problems with Uma, but after seeing her with Harry only gave her reason to constantly sass her and be annoyed with her. She didn't miss how Uma's face turned into an ugly scowl when Evie said her mother's necklace was in the museum as an answer to a question presented by the teacher. She only wished she could see Uma's face in her Remedial Goodness class and how she would react to Fairy Godmother's overly-expressive way of asking questions.

Her other classes went remarkable well, and her favorite was turning out to be Politics of the Palace. Given that she was the Royal Adviser, she felt it was necessary to take the course. She was fortunate enough to have Carlos in her class, who was so excited about the class that he took so many notes and asked so many questions that the teacher looked like he would burst out in frustration at him, but he didn't care. His creativity and intelligence was stunted on the Isle, but now in Auradon, he was free to allow his intelligence to shine through. Evie didn't mind though since his intelligence managed to get them out of tight spaces in the past, particularly in deciphering the messages left for them by Yen Sid.

Since it was only the first day back, no one had any homework to catch up on. It turned out to be a beautiful day, so Dizzy and Evie managed to snag a picnic table by a large Oak tree and poured over some of the sketches Evie made for Dizzy's family day dress. Since Dizzy was only eleven, she wasn't old enough to come to Castlecoming yet. However, she certainly was free to go to family day, and although she heard the story of what happened last year at family day, she was still excited at the event. Even though they were step-cousins, Chad and Dizzy couldn't be more polar opposites, and it was evident after being blown off by Chad after being introduced to him by Freddie earlier.

"I love that shade of green!" Dizzy said after looking through color palettes. Evie laid out multiple fabric swatches on the table, trying to find something Dizzy might like.

"Hmm" Evie mused. "Maybe we can try this" Evie held up the patch of green and placed it next to Dizzy's face, judging how well the color would look on her. "We can do a light green dress with some cyan trim around it, with a sash the same color." It was customary that the children wore a color palette of their parents at family day, and for Dizzy, it was light green, yellow, and cyan.

"That would be amazing!" Dizzy said, clapping her hands excitedly. While not so much a fan of her mother's style, Evie had created a color sketch that would match Dizzy perfectly.

Evie laughed at her antics before putting the fabric swatches back in her bag and closed up her sketchbook.

"So Dizzy, how was your first day?" Evie asked.

"It was amazing! Did you know that I didn't have to take Remedial Goodness unlike the others?"

Evie looked at her confused before taking a drink of her water. Even though Dizzy didn't have an evil bone in her body, all the villain transfers would take it.

"Yep. Ben stopped by the dorm earlier and said I didn't have to take it, which made Uma mad" Dizzy giggled.

Evie smirked at the thought of Uma's face being red with anger. Uma had to take a class that an eleven year old didn't, but it also meant Harry had to take it. Evie felt that he and Gil would be easier to persuade than Uma.

"But that's not the best part. I made a friend!"

Evie gave Dizzy a smile, knowing how hard it was for Dizzy to make friends. Her vibrant spirit often turned the other kids away. Of course, the only children on the Isle were taught to be cruel and wicked, and friends were only seen as "allies" in plots against others. Still, Evie didn't know how the others would respond to Dizzy, but it seems that they accepted her with wide and open arms.

"Really...is it anyone special?" Evie asked amused.

"Maybe... his name is Evan, and he's Ariel and Eric's son" Dizzy replied, trying hard to keep the blush off her face. _Someone has a little crush._

"Ah yes. Evan. Fair skin, red hair, and freckles. He got the hopeless romantic gene from his father and his curiosity from his mother" Evie stated nonchalantly, knowing exactly who Dizzy was referring to. Dizzy just looked at Evie with pure wonder on her face. Evie wasn't one to miss a face, and she could describe someone just by simple mention of a name.

"Oh, don't act so surprised. If it's any benefit, Evan's a really nice boy. Great swimmer too" she winked.

Dizzy giggled at what she said, which caused Evie to giggle as well.

"Anyways, I have to run and meet Evan and his friends. I promised him that I would hang out with him after our grammar class."

"Ok, you have fun with Evan" Evie teased.

Evie gathered up her belongings and headed back to her dorm while Dizzy skipped off in the direction of the library. She reached into her bag to pull out her key to unlock the door, but realized it was already unlocked. _Mal must have run late again._ Whenever Mal was late to class or a royal event, she often forgot to lock the door, and with the past break-ins because of Chad, Evie had to made sure the door was always locked and her items safe and sound.

Evie opened the door, and the sight before her made her drop the sketchbook and her bag on her feet.

"Hello, ma' princess."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **If you feel personally victimized by cliffhangers, I place blame solely on the people who created them to torture us. So think of this as revenge for making me sit through cliffhangers.**

 **I do not think that any sequels made from the original movies ever counted in the book series, so Ariel's daughter Melody isn't alive. And because I could not find any other children that Ariel and Eric had besides Melody, I decided to give them a child in this story.**


	8. Chapter 8: Reconnecting

**A/N**

 **Thank you for your constant support and appreciation of the story. I love reading your reviews and seeing the notifications when I get a new follower or a favorite. It brightens up my day. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Evie could've been knocked over with a feather at this point. Her eyes were wide, her jaw was dropped, and her heart rate picked up double time. Her bag had dropped on her foot, but she was too much in shock to care.

"Harry" she whispered, her shock still not worn off. Of course, anyone would be shocked to find someone else in your dorm.

Harry was sitting in one of the chairs by the window, swinging his pocket watch back and forth between his fingers. His hook was placed on the table beside the chair, and he looked completely relaxed, absent of his hat and jacket. This was Harry in his element: unpredictable, sneaky, and he had the odd way of making you completely uncomfortable while he was always relaxed.

"Naww, so the princess does remember ma' name. Thought she might've forgotten, with her being in Bor-e-don for so long" Harry said, pocketing his watch and giving her a sly smile.

Evie gave him a small smile and shook her head at his antics. No matter how hard she tried, she never forgot those piercing blue eyes and silver hook. No one could forget Harry Hook; his dark, shadowy eyes made anyone squirm under their gaze and the hook in his hand made anyone think twice about what to say to him.

"So, did you happen to break into my dorm or did you just casually stroll in?" Evie asked, glancing over at her desk, making sure none of her things were missing. She thought she lost a barrette one time and she flipped over the entire dorm trying to find it.

Harry chortled at what she said, before his mouth turned into an "o" shape, reminding Evie of how he acted when they asked where Ben was months ago.

"Oh...um...the door was open, and I let ma'self in. Remind me tae thank Mal for that."

 _I'm going to kill Mal after this..._

A moment of silence passed over them, giving Harry the chance to get a good look at her. He stared at her intently, thinking this was a dream he would wake up from. This would be a cruel joke if he woke up back on the Isle, but this was real, and Evie was standing right in front of him. He could tell she was nervous, but she was trying hard to mask those nerves.

Evie herself was struggling to keep it under control; Harry's gaze gave her chills and made her nerves push her closer to the edge of the mental cliff. If he kept staring at her, she would fall off that edge and drown in a sea of blue eyes. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, before she reached down and picked up her book and bag. She walked over to her desk, deposited the items on it, and took a deep breath before turning around to face a now-standing Harry behind her.

"What can I do for you, Harry?" Evie asked.

Harry, giving her a look of fake shock and placing his hand on his chest for emphasis, responded "Can't yer favorite pirate in Bor-e-don come tae see ye?"

"Oh, you brought Gil with you? He always was my favorite" Evie said, twirling her hair and fake swooning.

Harry gave her a frown, and she inwardly applauded herself. She couldn't let Harry be one-step ahead of her, and she sure as hell couldn't let Harry's charm overtake her and distract her.

"Oh, stop getting jealous like you always do. You know you were always my favorite" Evie said.

Harry tilted his head to the side, and the sides of his lips turned up into an open-mouthed smile. Evie flipped her hair back with her hand, proud of how she could still easily put Harry under her control.

"Still the same auld tease, aren't ye?" Harry asked amused.

"What can I say? It got me a lot back on the Isle." It was true. Evie had used her flirting and teasing skills to get anything she wanted, from clothing to beauty products to food. "But in all seriousness Harry, why are you here in Auradon? What is it that you want?"

"Well, if ye must know" Harry began, walking over to Evie and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm only allowed here because of yer king beastie boy." He reached down and grabbed her hand, and he smirked at how Evie's breath hitched in her throat.

"Like I said before" Harry said, in a low, sultry voice that made her weak in the knees. "What I wanted was tae come see ye" he finished before lifting up her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

"Really...didn't look like you wanted to see me that last night before I left" Evie challenged, pulling her hand out of his grip.

Harry stepped back with his hands held up in surrender. "Tae be fair, I did listen tae ye."

Harry was right. Although he was mad at her, he did listen to what she had to say. He didn't believe her, but that was beside the point. Evie knew this was true as well. She had to give him the same respect now he gave her.

"Besides, ye didn't listen tae me that one night when I said we could manage this" he said, moving his finger back and forth between them. Yep, leave it to Harry to not forget it either.

"And as I told you that night, I only did it because of Mal. You know how she is."

Everyone knew how Mal was. Harry and Mal had a history before the groups formed. Given that Uma and Mal were best friends, and given that Harry was Uma's oldest friend, it wasn't uncommon to see the three of them together. But once Uma did her unforgivable deed, Mal and Harry broke off. But Mal never harbored feelings for Harry on account of feelings being the crutch of her villain artistry. The daughter of Maleficent had better things to do besides love someone.

"Hmm" Harry said, tapping his finger on his chin. "Seems like ye did lots for Mal and yet, ye seemed tae get nothing in return."

Evie opened her mouth to retort, but she didn't have a comeback to the accuracy of his statement. She did do a lot for Mal and got little in return. Most of it Evie did out of the goodness of her heart, but Harry had ignited a flame that was always deep inside her gut. Evie got thrown in a closet as a joke by Mal, almost got cursed by Mal trying to retrieve the Dragon Scepter so that Mal could prove herself a worthwhile villain. They only came to Auradon to steal the wand so that Mal and her mother could rule the world, leaving Evie and the others as sub-servants. Mal somehow benefited in the end, and Evie stood on the sidelines, playing the supportive best friend. Of course, without Mal, her fashion business wouldn't have blown up to how it is now. Evie always has constant orders flooding in from royal families around Auradon.

"It doesn't matter" Evie said, shaking her head. "The hatchet has been buried and it's behind us. Mal and I are best friends, like you and Uma. Besides, who are you to say something like that when you are pretty much the same way with Uma?"

This struck a sour note with Harry, because no matter how hard he denied it, Evie was right. Harry was always upset at being Uma's first mate and never the captain of his own crew, but he managed to suppress it enough to harbor no hard feelings toward her. Evie and Harry were in the same boat, which is why they bonded so well. Both were the second in command, never one to be the masters of their own futures. They both wanted to make a name for themselves, but both got trapped into being the supportive best friend, sacrificing what made them happy. While Evie managed to do half her dream of fashion, Harry wasn't able to do even a part of his dream. His dream left him behind on the Isle with nothing but a hook, rotten apples, and a "first-mate" label.

"Aye, so the lass has a point. But the lass seems tae forget that Uma would come back for us, unlike some people. Mal would've happily cast ye tae the side if she wanted tae" Harry said, not trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

Once again, leave it to Harry to point out the obvious. The guilt wave she didn't know she had was now starting to roll in, threatening to crash over her and leave her in a flood of emotions. This was why Harry was upset. He was left behind, and she got to come to Auradon. Evie picked up on it: he was here to get his revenge on her for leaving him behind.

"So, this is the reason why you're in Auradon. You wanted to get back at me for leaving you behind" Evie replied.

Harry looked at her incredulously, almost insulted at the accusation. He shouldn't be since he thought out a plot last night that involved Audrey as his pawn, but he would never go through with it. While he was hurt, he didn't want to hurt Evie even worse than he felt.

"Naww, I don't want ma revenge on ye. Yer not worth it."

Evie let out a sigh and felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. Hearing Harry say he didn't want revenge made her feel better. Perhaps there was a chance of reconciliation.

"Besides, I'm only here because of yer king, and I told Uma that if she accepted, I would come with her."

Boom. Crushed. So Harry really did come to Auradon because of Uma. Evie didn't know what made her feel worse: the idea that Harry was going to get revenge on her or the fact that he only came because Uma did. Once again, the similarities between them were consistent. Both were loyal to their leader, still following them even though they were free to be independent in Auradon.

"Second, I was already hurt enough when ye left the first time. Uma was the only one who kept her promise tae us. Ye seemed tae take all of Auradon and keep it for yerself."

Evie scoffed at the notion. She knew that Harry was only trying to gain sympathy and play the victim; however, she was too smart to fall for his game and trickery. Harry only crushed other people's spirits. He was never one to feel bad or sad about anything, except maybe when Jay tossed his hook into the sea back on the Isle.

"Oh, you were hurt were you? I was under the assumption that the only thing that hurt you was when Jay tossed that hook into the sea."

Harry shot her a glare, and Evie equally matched it right back.

"Besides, I was hurt too when you tried to convince me to dump Mal and my friends to still be with you. I was hurt when you refused to speak to me before I left. At least Doug was here to comfort me."

Harry's eyes widened at what she said.

"So it's true. Ye are datin' that dwarf offspring" Harry said, with jealousy brushing his exterior.

"Really...that's all you get out of what I said? Second, you have no right to be jealous over Doug since you made it clear you and Uma are a thing."

Harry rolled his eyes, getting annoyed with Evie's constant implication of him and Uma dating.

"If ye want me tae respond tae the first, I only tried tae show ye that Mal wasn't yer best friend. Look at what she did tae ye all those years. Also, Uma and I aren't datin', so cool yer jealousy princess."

This was déjà vu of their conversation the night Evie broke things off. Harry trying to show her that Mal wasn't a real best friend, and Evie showing Harry that Uma had more than just "friend feelings" for him. It had come back at them full circle.

"Well, your plan failed. Even after you and Uma 'nicked' Ben and held him for ransom, Mal and I only got stronger. Besides, I heard your reputation never recovered on the Isle after you lost to an Auradon boy."

Harry closed his eyes, and when he re-opened them, he gave her a stare that would make anyone crap their pants. His look dared Evie to continue on because if she did, he would be doing something that would send him back to the Isle.

But what Evie had said was true. Mal and Evie did grow in their friendship. Sure they had fights, but every sister goes through that. All three of them (Harry included in this) came from the same background. All three of them could never fulfill the expectations their parents placed on them on such young ages. Mal would never be the villain her mother was; Evie would never get the mother-in-law wing in her prince's castle; Harry would never be the captain of his own ship and crew. The only one who got the good end of the deal was Jay. Jay only had one thing to do: steal from others and sell it back to them at high prices. Jay was a "chip off the old block" and his father always gave him better treatment. Jay had surpassed his father's expectations, even at a young age.

"But to go back to a previous statement of yours, Doug and I did date, but we aren't together anymore. So why don't you go apologize to that tray you flung to the floor the other night? How dare you stand there and be jealous of Doug and yet criticize me for being jealous of Uma. How dare you stand there and sit on your high horse and criticize what Mal did to me, when you aren't much better" Evie said, her anger and frustration now becoming apparent.

She got close up to Harry's face, and he could feel her breath on his face. Normally, this would make Harry putty in her hands, but he stood there and took it, his anger and pride refusing to be swayed by a beautiful princess.

"You're not so innocent in all of this Harry. I may have broken a promise and Mal may have locked me in a closet and banished me, but you kidnapped a king and held him for ransom."

Harry had no reply, because it was true. He had crushed Evie's heart and kidnapped the king for ransom. Compared to what Mal did and what he did, Harry's deed would take the cake on "who can be worse."

Evie stood there in front of him like a volcano ready to explode. Both of them clearly had issues to work out. Evie knew this was going to be hard, but she didn't realize it was going to be this hard, nor did she think it would be with this much anger, frustration, and sadness. Both had valid points that were made, but pride was their enemy. Pride is often the flaw of a villain's heart, and no villain wanted to admit they were wrong.

"Well...?" Evie asked, annoyed. "Gonna say something or did Lucifer rip out your tongue and feed it to Flotsam and Jetsam?"

Harry just stood there staring at Evie. Truth is, he couldn't find the words to say. What can one say when their deeds and horrible acts were laid out in front of them? How can one admit to them without getting the repercussions of them? Evie put a mirror up to him to see the ugly truth, and he didn't want to face it.

"Just like that final night. Standing there with a pathetic look on your face with nothing to say. God, you were an ass then and you're still an ass now" Evie said. Harry did have the reputation of being an ass to people, but he did have a heart for certain people. When he was with Evie, he was kind, considerate, and a bit of a romantic when he wanted to be.

"SAY SOMETHING YOU ASSHOLE!" Evie shouted, not trying to hide her anger. She wanted to work this out, and Harry was giving her nothing.

"If I were such an arse, I wouldn't have fallen in love with ye. I wouldn't have convinced Uma tae accept us as a couple" Harry confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Evie stood there shocked by his revelation. Harry had fallen in love with her, and she didn't recognize it.

"I wouldn't have believed ye when ye said ye'd come back for me if I were such an arse."

This confession pierced Evie straight through her heart. Harry had complete faith and trust in her, something that didn't come natural to other villains. There was always a smell of skepticism in the air, but Evie knew this was true.

Harry..." she said, her voice now soft and gentle. She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off and moved to face the window.

"Harry...I'm sorry" Evie said, trying to fix this situation.

"Little late for that, wouldn't ye say princess?" Harry shot back. This made Evie return to her annoyed state. Here she was trying to fix this whole situation, and Harry was giving her the cold shoulder and being unreasonable.

"Look, I'm trying to apologize and fix this..." she began before Harry cut her off.

"THERE'S NOTHIN' TAE FIX! YE MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR HOW YE FEEL!"

Evie flinched back at his tone of voice, but Harry didn't care. All the months of anger and hurt were coming out in this conversation and there was no going back after this.

"Look, I'm trying to apologize and fix this, but if that's how you're going to react and treat me, then GO TO HELL AND TAKE UMA WITH YOU!"

"MAYBE I SHOULD!"

"MAYBE I SHOULD GO BACK TO DOUG THEN SINCE THIS IS OVER BETWEEN US. AT LEAST HE TREATED ME BETTER THAN YOU EVER DID!"

Harry had enough. His rope was cut in half. He walked over and grabbed his hook off the table before shooting her a menacing glare. He stalked off towards the door and opened it before Evie's voice pierced through him like a pirate sword.

"That's right. Walk out again YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A PIRATE AND A MAN!"

Harry walked out, slamming the door behind him so hard that it caused a picture frame to knock over on her nightstand and caused a few students on the other side of the corridor to turn their heads at what caused the sound. Harry was walking towards them with a look that dared anyone to get in his way. All the students took this as their cue to not look at him as he passed by. He'd only been here a day, but his hook's reputation made it around the school like wildfire.

Evie walked over to her nightstand to investigate the damage. She knew exactly what the picture frame was. It was a doodle sketch of Harry in his pirate uniform she made a few days after arriving in Auradon. Mal and the others didn't know about it because she kept it hidden, but once her secret got out, she openly displayed it. She would never admit it, but she kissed it good night ever since she found out Harry was coming to Auradon.

She picked up the frame, noticing the glass that shattered, much like their relationship now. She delicately placed the frame on her bed before sweeping the glass up into her hand and depositing it in her trashcan by her desk. She walked back over to her bed and picked up the frame, staring at it intently. The simple gesture of looking at it made her veins boil and tears flow from her eyes. She threw the frame at the door so hard it completely broke in half; the sketch folded over and now had a crease in it. She sank down to the floor and let the floodgates open and pour out of her eyes.

 _How could the day turn out this way?_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I didn't want it to be all hearts and flowers once they finally talked because it isn't always the natural reaction. Both were still angry and hurt and this was the aftermath of it. I know some of you may have been expecting this and some are probably shocked, but this was how I always imagined their meeting being after both were hurt by each other. I hope it didn't disappoint you and I promise you this will not be the ending.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Aftermath

**A/N**

 **Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!**

* * *

"So after that, he just left?"

Mal was sitting on Evie's bed with her arm wrapped around her blue-haired friend. Mal noticed she wasn't at dinner that night, and when Harry and Uma weren't there either, red flags popped up all around her. Jay and Carlos went to Harry's room to search for the pirate, while Mal rushed off to her room in search of Evie. Ben, unable to think of anything to help, filled a tray up with food and left it in the dorm. It lay there on the table by the window untouched and growing colder by the minute.

"That's pretty much what happened" Evie said with a hiccup.

The aftermath of her tear-filled rage lay evident on her face. Her perfect makeup was now in streaks and smudges on her face. Her hair was frizzy and full of fly-aways from when she ran her fingers through them in a failed effort to calm down. Normally, Evie would be horrified at her current situation, but right now, she was too upset to care about it.

"Don't worry about it, E. He'll pay for this. I won't let him get away with it."

The door opened up, and Jay and Carlos entered the dorm and sat down in the chairs by the window. From the looks on their faces, they were slightly confused at what the conclusion was of their previous encounter with the pirate.

Mal turned her attention to the rest of the group. "What happened with Harry and you two?"

Carlos looked over at Jay, before deciding that he was probably the best one to tell the story. Jay had a look of anger and confusion wrapped up in one.

"Well" Carlos began. "After we left to go to Harry's room, Uma barged into us on her way to find Gil. We entered and Harry was mad at us for going in obviously, but it didn't matter. Jay figured out that Harry and Evie had a fight and Jay was ready to pound him into the ground."

Carlos looked down at his lap, unsure of how to state the next part. Jay refused to look at Evie and Mal.

"Well...?" Mal asked, confused as to where this was heading.

"Well...uh...after Jay said he was going to beat up Harry, Harry said he deserved it and wanted Jay to do it."

Evie looked over at Carlos, disbelief etched on her face. "You didn't...actually beat him up right Jay?"

Mal looked at Evie incredulously. "Really, Evie? After what he did to you, he deserves to have his ass beat and dragged to Hell."

There was no hiding the anger in her voice. Harry had hurt Evie, and that wasn't something the group took lightly. An attack against one of them was an attack against them all in her eyes.

"Mal" Carlos said, his voice soft. "I think Harry legitimately feels bad about the entire thing."

Mall rolled her eyes before letting out a scoff. Harry never felt guilty about anything in his life before. He bullied and intimidated his way to everything without a second glance. Much like his sympathy game with Evie, this was all a victim blaming game.

"Yeah right. If he really felt bad, he would've been dragging his sorry, pathetic ass back to this room and begging for her forgiveness. He should be eating dirt."

"No, Mal. You don't understand. I think he was threatening to go back to the Isle."

With that revelation, silence fell over the entire room. No one knew what to say about this. If you were to ask Mal, she would've just let him go back and rot there where he belonged. If you were to ask Evie, she would know Harry was being serious. Harry was hell-bent and adamant about getting off the Isle, so if he was threatening to go back, the situation was serious.

Evie wiped her eyes from any remaining moisture before standing up. The odd action caused the other three to look at her with confused looks on their faces.

"Uh...Evie...where are you going?" Jay asked.

Evie didn't say anything, but proceeded on with her determined task. She grabbed her heart clutch and leather jacket before making her way to the door. Mal's eyes widened and she ran over to block the door.

"NO!" she yelled. "You're not going to see him!"

"Mal," Evie said, slightly exasperated at the over-protectiveness of Mal. "I have to go see him. This is serious."

"I'm not letting you go see him, E. He deserves to feel like this after what he said and did to you. If he goes back to the Isle, let him go and rot there. Besides, if you go, we're all going with you."

Evie rolled her eyes and let out another exasperated sigh. The group seemed to forget that Evie was raised on the Isle. She had all the tricks up her sleeves on how to protect herself. While she did appreciate their protectiveness, it was often-times stifling and suffocating.

"Mal, I can handle myself. Besides, this is my problem, not yours or Jay's or Carlos'."

Mal stood in front of the door, refusing to budge. Mal could be stubborn for days, and Evie knew there was no use fighting her stubbornness. She let out a defeated sigh before throwing her items on the bed and sitting back down with a pout on her lips.

"Listen, Evie. Just let him simmer down and give him three days tops before you go and search for him. It's an old trick that Jane taught me."

"Why three days, C?" Jay asked.

"There's a rule out there that says to wait three days before going back to someone. If you keep going back to that person before the three days are over, that person gets off easy and won't learn anything. If he doesn't come back in three days, it's obvious he doesn't care anymore."

"But we have to do our cooking project tomorrow night or else we'll fail the assignment" Evie said, her devil's advocate coming out. "And besides, it was both of us at fault."

"Then go to your little project and see how he reacts and what he says. You're a smart girl, Evie. You know what to do" Carlos said, his eyes lighting up a bit. Evie was Carlos' first true friend, and they always had a special bond between them.

Evie went over and wrapped Carlos in a hug. Sure, Carlos was the youngest out of the four of them, but he was the wisest person any one of them knew. Before long, two other sets of arms were wrapping around them in a VK group hug. It was a little trick they always did in order to cheer the sad or upset person up.

"Feeling better?" Mal asked.

"Slightly..." Evie muttered, but she knew the storm was brewing. A certain turquoise pirate hadn't made her grand entrance, and once that happened, everything was going to be said and done that didn't already happen.

Dude whimpered down by Carlos' feet, indicating he wanted to be walked one final time.

"Well, that's my cue for the night. We'll see you guys at breakfast. Hope you feel better Evie" Carlos said, before he, Jay, and Dude exited the girls' dorm.

* * *

Mal and Evie had gone back to a sense of normalcy. Evie finally ate something off that tray Ben brought her earlier before turning her attention to her sketchbook. Mal lay on her bed, working on a landscape sketch for her art class.

What Mal had said to Evie lingered through her head. _He deserves to feel like this after what he said and did to you._ If you were to ask Evie, it was kind of hypocritical for Mal to say someone deserves to feel like that when she hurt Evie in the past and didn't feel guilty about it. Of course, Mal wasn't one to think much about guilt. Feelings were still a hard subject for her to have. And there was the fact that Harry was slightly wrong as well. Because of Mal, she managed to have friends, her dream life, and a second chance. Mal had given back to them in return, but what was the ultimate cost?

Everything seemed to be fine and normal, until the door flung open and there stood a shock of turquoise hair and flame-ridden eyes. Uma had finally found them.

"I want to know what the hell she did to Harry and I want to know now" she said, her voice dangerously low. Uma looked ready to snap and bite off someone's head, or slice it off with her sword.

"Once again, typical Uma" Mal said, picking at her nails as if she were bored with the entire thing. "It's always the other person's fault and never yours or someone in your crew."

"This is not Harry's fault, Mal. This is her fault. SHE'S the reason why he's threatening to go back."

"And for some reason, I see no problem with that outcome. Maybe you should go back as well and do the rest of us a favor."

"No thanks, I actually deal with my problems instead of running like a little bitch. Can't say the same for you."

"And yet, even when I ran away back to the Isle, I still managed to beat you, shrimpy."

Uma had grown frustrated at Mal's constant nickname for her. Not only was it insulting, but that was her reputation on the Isle. Even when she took over as queen, people still undermined her by calling her shrimpy.

"For. The. Last. Damn. Time." Uma retorted before her voice rose again."STOP CALLING ME SHRIMPY!"

"Maybe next time, don't get a bucket of shrimp dumped onto your head" Mal responded.

Evie rolled her eyes and fidgeted with a choker necklace on her desk. If you were to ask her, she was tired of the same thing over and over again. To make matters worse, before Evie was really and fully accepted into the group, she had no idea why Mal hated Uma; all she was told was that Uma was bad news. It took a while before Evie found out what happened and she was met with a cold glare when she laughed at and made light of what she did. She eventually just learned to accept it, even though she felt it was ridiculous. But she never underestimated the power and evil intellect that Uma had. The daughter of the Sea Witch always had something up her sleeve.

"Oh, you wanna talk about the bucket? I seem to remember someone tripped and fell into her own prank. Can you imagine it? The daughter of the evilest villain ever and she gets thwarted by her own scheme" Uma said with a laugh.

"THAT'S IT!"

Mal and Uma were about to square off again, before Evie's voice sounded throughout the room.

"Can both of you just shut the hell up for once?!"

Mal and Uma stood still and focused their attention on Evie. Evie had never sounded like this before. If she ever got mad, she wasn't like this. Her anger or sadness probably lasted a minute at most, but the tone of her voice suggested that this wasn't going to be a quick one-and-done occurrence. That volcano inside her was threatening to erupt all thanks to Harry.

"I've had enough of this same damn argument between you two. It always boils down to you two. For some reason, you managed to turn a problem between Harry and I into a problem about you two once again. You two never shut up about each other, and I'm so sick of it" Evie said, clear frustration in her voice.

"Excuse me?!" Mal asked incredulously, insulted at how her "friend" was not backing her up. "I didn't start this. SHE DID!"

"And yet, instead of trying to stop it and work it out like you promised Ben, you incited it and kept it going. You never know when to just stop."

Mal looked at Evie with confusion on her face. Evie had never acted like this, so why was she acting like this all of a sudden?

"Where did all of this come from? Mal asked, hurt at what Evie was saying.

"Harry was right...maybe...I don't know" Evie trailed off, debating how this should go.

"If you have something to say, say it Evie. Let's just get this over with" Mal replied.

Evie took a deep breath and prepared for the worst.

"It was always about you and Uma in our group. In our group specifically, it was always about you, and I've grown tired and sick of it being about you. This was a problem between me and Harry and yet for some reason, you and Uma managed to turn it back into your ridiculous feud. Honestly, that whole feud between you and her is laughable, considering you've done way worse. And I'm so tired of walking on egg shells around you because of how you were going to react."

"Oh trust me" Uma started. "You were smart not tell her about Harry and you."

"Shut up Uma. WAIT!" Mal said, now realizing what Uma had said. "UMA KNEW ABOUT YOU AND HARRY AND YOU NEVER BOTHERED TO TELL ME OR THE REST OF US?"

"I DIDN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE I KNEW YOU WOULD REACT THIS WAY!" Evie yelled, her anger being the dominant emotion.

"So, it just happens to be a convenient fact that Uma knew about you but yet your 'best friend' didn't know? Because that's not my idea of friendship, E."

Uma sniggered in satisfaction of knowing something that Mal didn't, but she didn't expect Evie to round on her.

"Don't think you're so innocent in all of this, Uma. You and Harry were friends, and yet you treated him like dirt. You and your sick, cunning ways made him lose his dream and forced him to be your bitch. He wanted to be captain, and yet because of you, he never got that chance. Don't you dare think you're so much better in all of this either. You could've ended this feud, but yet, you didn't."

Uma narrowed her eyes at her, before she turned on her heel and exited the dorm. She wouldn't admit it, but Evie was right. She had used her cunning ways to get what she wanted all the time, from Harry to Mal. Perhaps a second chance in Auradon would make her understand what she did. It was going to be hard, but it could be possible.

The door shut, and Mal rounded on Evie.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?! YOU CHOSE TO THROW ME UNDER THE BUS AND NOT DEFEND ME AGAINST HER? WHAT KIND OF BEST FRIEND ARE YOU?!"

"What kind of best friend am I?" Evie began, her voice low but threatening to rise.

"I am the best friend that braved a dangerous journey to rescue your mother's scepter. I am the best friend who helped try to steal the wand for your mother. I am the best friend who made all your formal outfits. I am the best friend who helped retrieve the trident, almost losing my life falling into that sea. I am that best friend who ran back to the Isle to try and bring you back, risking my life against pirates and slashing swords to make it happen. DON'T YOU DARE STAND THERE AND SAY WHAT KIND OF BEST FRIEND AM I! I HAVE STOOD BY YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND NOT ONCE DID I EVER GET A 'THANK YOU' FROM YOU!"

Evie stood there, her shoulders rising up and down due to the lack of oxygen in her body. Mal and her were in a stand-off, refusing to back down. Mal and Evie's relationship had always been rocky, but they were sisters. At this moment, however, it looked like that connection and relationship would be crumbling beneath their feet.

"You know, if that's how you feel, maybe we aren't best friends. Best friends support you, not call you out and side with their enemy. You humiliated me in front of Uma, and I already was once, but I never expected it from you."

Evie looked at her at what she said. Did she really think that she was siding with Uma? Once again, Mal's pride was holding her back from seeing what she really said.

"You and that damn pride you have" she scoffed. "If you noticed, I was sided with nobody. I pointed out how both of you are at fault here and yet, you seem to not notice it because of your damn pride. And do you really wanna talk about taking sides? You tried to talk Ben and I out of inviting Harry here in the first place. I thought best friends supported you?"

Mal tried to think of a response, but she couldn't. She knew Evie had a point, but she was too mad and angered to admit it. She was more hurt at being thrown under the bus and called out than anything.

"If that's how you feel, maybe we shouldn't be best friends anymore. Just say the words."

Evie debated this decision in her head. Their entire relationship rested on the next few words that would come out of her mouth. Once they came out, there was no going back.

"I guess we aren't best friends."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I was heading in this direction to begin with, having this blow up between Mal and Evie. I guess it comes from my personal criticism of how the series was so Mal-focused. I get why it was so Mal-focused because she was the most dynamic, but it left a lot of other characters lacking great development. If you noticed, by the end of the first movie, after a few words and one experience, the other three managed to change easy as pie. The development was really rushed, and it left a lot for me to be desired. The characters became really static to me, and there was no emotional spectrum for them, so I tried to re-create it in Evie. Don't get me wrong, I thought Dove was fabulous as Mal and really captured her essence, but I was disappointed at how she was really the only dynamic character in that story and everyone else was pretty static.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Project (1)

**A/N**

 **This could be considered chapter 10 part 1. Happy reading!**

* * *

"Evie...Evie...Evie?" the teacher called out to her, trying to grab her attention once again.

The person next to her tapped her on the shoulder; she shook her head and blinked, trying to refocus on where she was and what she was supposed to be doing.

"Sorry" she said, her face turning red as apples. "What was the question again?"

The teacher gave her a slightly annoyed look at having to repeat himself, and she gave him an apologetic look. He repeated the question to her, which Evie answered correctly, before he turned back to the chalkboard and she slipped back into her thoughts.

She was sitting in her fourth period grammar class, but if you were to ask her where she was, she wouldn't have been able to tell you. Her routine this morning was very robotic and done without much thought. Focus and concentration eluded her today, and more than once, a teacher called out to her multiple times before she focused on them again. Carlos even slapped her shoulder earlier trying to get her to focus in their Politics of the Palace class, but it never worked, and it was thanks to last night's fight.

After their fight, Mal stormed out of their dorm and slept in B that night, leaving Evie alone. Ben was granted a single dorm after he became king, forcing Chad to move out and move in with someone else. His argument was that he was a "king of the people", and he had to live among them in order to properly govern them. Plus, he was still a student in Auradon Prep.

Ben came to their dorm last night and grabbed a bag with some of Mal's things in it. It was an awkward moment for Ben trying to find all of Mal's things, and Evie didn't bother to help much in his endeavor. However, in a rare moment between them, Ben and Evie talked for hours after that, with Ben doing his kingly duty and listening to his people. She released all her frustrations and anger out at him while he silently sat there and listened. As much as Ben was Mal's boyfriend, Evie was also his friend, and he trusted her with a lot. Ben promised to talk to Mal that night before he left with the bag of Mal's things.

Sleep didn't come easy that night. She was constantly tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable and relaxed, but no matter what she did, it didn't come. Her dreams were plagued with images of Harry and Mal, yelling at her and blaming her for everything; in one of them, Harry slipped his hand into Mal's and ran off with her. After that second nightmare, she made herself a coffee in the public room and had been up ever since. No one could tell that she was exhausted as hell thanks to her mad makeup skills, but her actions proved otherwise. She was worried that Harry wouldn't show up to any of his classes, but her worries were laid to rest when he was there in Life Skills, but Mal was missing, and she felt that Mal would be missing the whole day.

She felt a finger tap her shoulder again, and she shook her head and turned to the person tapping her shoulder.

"The bell rung. Let's get something to eat and grab you a coffee. You look like you need it badly" Carlos said, not hiding his concern on his face. Carlos was always able to pick up on people's moods quite easily, thanks to years of practice living with Cruella.

Evie gathered up her things and both of them made their way to their lockers, depositing their items before heading towards the cafeteria.

"Evie, are you sure you're ok?" Carlos asked, slipping his jacket on.

"I told you, I'm fine. It doesn't concern you so stop worrying" Evie said with frustration in her voice. She knew Carlos was going to badger her about it until they talked it over and came up with a solution to it.

They made their way through the food line and sat down at their usual table. Evie barely touched her slice of pizza, but she forced herself to finish it because if she didn't, Carlos was going to antagonize her about it. Before long, Jay made his way over to the table and sat down with his burger.

"Hey, has anyone seen Mal? She wasn't in our Language of the Stars class. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since last night."

"Mal isn't coming, and I doubt she'll be coming for the next few days" Evie said before taking a bite of her pizza.

Carlos and Jay looked at her skeptically. She looked over at Carlos, who nodded his head slightly as if to convince her to share what's been bothering her. Evie sighed, knowing she had no way out of this one. She told them the story in detail of what happened between her, Mal, and Uma, which led to Mal leaving and their friendship severed.

"You know, she did have a point. Harry told Uma and you didn't tell us. We are friends and you still should've told us" Jay said.

Evie let out a huff of frustration, tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. She didn't think she would ever live this one down. This was going to be the one thing they always held over her.

"But" Jay continued. "You were right not to tell us. She was going to react exactly that way back then. Hell, we all would have."

"I'm more surprised at you, Evie" Carlos said. "Out of all of us, you're the one who keeps her emotions in check the most."

Even Jay nodded his head in agreement with Carlos' statement. Jay and Mal were always quick to show their anger, annoyance, or evil delight. Carlos had always shown his panic and anxiety in moments where his mother was concerned, especially if he forgot to do a chore correctly. Evie was more reserved and always kept to herself, and she owed it to her ten years in isolation across the Isle.

"I don't know what came over me. I was just so mad at Harry for what he said that it kind of came out at Mal. It wasn't like what I said was untrue or anything. If anything, Mal's been a worse best friend than us" she said before picking up her fork and stabbing at her macaroni and cheese.

"What do you mean by that?" Carlos asked.

"Just think about it. You had to throw a party for Mal with moment's notice so she could lock me in a closet. She almost killed us trying to retrieve the scepter. She forced us to grab the wand. She left us here in Auradon and forced us to go back and get her, and then she proceeds to yell at us and get mad at us for bringing Ben there, when he was going to go with or without us. Then, she has the audacity to yell at me for trying to talk some sense into her. And for all that, we never got so much as a 'thank you'; all we got was that I was a bad friend."

"Evie, that's just who Mal is. Mal struggles with the whole concept of 'friendship' and 'gratitude' in the first place. Besides, didn't she thank you after the scepter disappeared?"

Evie scoffed and rolled her eyes at this statement. "I highly doubt saying 'I didn't mean it' is a statement of gratitude."

"For Mal, that is. But give her the benefit of the doubt here."

"Why in the hell should I give her the benefit of the doubt? What has she done to deserve that?"

Jay set down his fork and clasped his hands in front of him.

"You can't hold Mal running back to the Isle over her. She's always been difficult in expressing her emotions, and running away like that was the only way she knew how to deal with it. She wasn't born royalty or had royal training like you, Ben, and Audrey. This was a complete culture shock to her. Second, she did give us her thanks, not in word form though. She managed to convince us that we could be good and let us live in Auradon. If she had gone through with the plan, we all would've been back on the Isle. She knew how much it meant for us to live here, and this was her way of thanking us for sticking by her through everything that happened to her."

Evie tried to retort, but words eluded her at this moment. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Jay had a point. Mal was constantly struggling to be the Lady of the Court and she wasn't one to admit when she needed help. She opened herself up to making friends, and she doubted that if she didn't, they would never be in Auradon nor would they have been able to stay. Mal had given them the best thank you in the entire world: a second chance in Auradon.

"I feel like such an asshole" she mumbled.

"Been there before" Jay said, before the table was filled with small, amused laughs.

"But let her figure out the fault on her end. I mean, you weren't really throwing her under because you agreed with Uma. To be honest, I'm fed up of their feud as well. Maybe we can do an intervention later on" Carlos said.

"Uma and Mal in a room together for an extended period of time? Good luck with that..." Evie said.

"Just give Mal a few days for this to blow over. I'm sure Ben will talk some sense into her" Jay said.

"Speaking of things blowing over, how are you and Harry?" Carlos asked.

Out of all the topics Evie wanted to avoid, this was the top one on her list. While Harry had shown up to his classes, he refused to even look or speak to her. She tried to corner him after their History of Auradon class, but he managed to slip by her unnoticed. While things with Mal had a better chance of soothing down, she had no idea what would happen with Harry. Harry was wildly unpredictable; his moods could swing from one end of the spectrum to the next in a matter of seconds.

"I don't know. I'm still hoping he will show up tonight. If not, I'm just going to do it myself and put both our names on it. It's no big deal anyway" she shrugged.

After she said that, two red flaps out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Harry was walking by them, ignoring them and focusing solely on what Gil was saying. Evie wished he didn't, but Jay stuck his foot out and made Harry stumble a bit. It was subtle enough, but it managed to turn his attention to the group.

"Watch where ye put those, will ye? Dirty thief..." Harry muttered before Evie stood up and threw her hair back, catching his attention fully.

"Aye, what does yer royaltyness want now?" Harry asked, not bother hiding the spite and sarcasm in his voice. It was enough to get Evie fired up and respond though.

"Our assignment. Tonight. Be there at seven or I'll tell Merryweather you bailed and that you should fail. It'll look great next to your math score you got yesterday. What was it again...a C-?"

Carlos and Jay let out a snort, and even Gil was silently laughing behind him. Harry shot them all a glare before he turned his attention back to Evie. He slowly crept up to her and lifted his hook to drag the pointed end of his hook down her cheek, not enough to break skin, but just enough so that Evie could feel it.

"I'd watch that mouth yer majesty" Harry said in his low, dangerous voice.

"I'd watch where you put that hook, because if not, I'll be putting it somewhere you won't like" she said, her voice like poisoned honey. She emphasized it with a batting of her eyelashes.

He lowered his hook back down and grabbed some of Carlos' French fries before turning back around and stalking off with Gil stumbling behind him.

"Where did that come from?" Carlos asked in slight awe and amusement.

"Oh trust me. There's a lot more where that came from."


	11. Chapter 11: The Project (2)

**A/N**

 **This is officially chapter 11, but it could be considered chapter 10 part 2. Without going into too much detail of the next chapters, Tourney will make it's appearance, council meetings, and more Hevie moments.**

 **I thank you guys so much for all the support you have given me on this story. I love it when all of you guys review, so do not be afraid to do so. I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far, and a big thank you once again to everyone around the world who has read this story.**

* * *

A little before seven, Evie exited her dorm with her heart purse and the cook book tucked into the crook of her arm. She slowly strutted down the corridor, surprisingly absent of students tonight. Most were hanging out in the public room, listening to Chad and his awful karaoke skills as part of "welcome week" at Auradon. While she wished she could see that public spectacle, she had an assignment to do in the kitchen, the last place she wanted to be tonight. She felt a little better after her talk with Jay and Carlos, but her mood dampened as the hours passed.

She finally reached the cafeteria, where a few students were still lingering about for dinner. Gil was off in the corner talking to Freddie, and by the looks of it, Freddie was highly interested in Gil, twirling the end of one of her pigtails with her finger. Of course, back on the Isle, Gil often flirted with Freddie, and although she never showed it, she was crushing hard on him. Freddie was one of those neutral villains. She played by her own rules and never ran with a group until she came to Auradon. It mostly was due to her father being a voodoo witch doctor who threatened to curse anyone who annoyed him. Walking behind the food line, she opened the kitchen door and was greeted by an empty kitchen and a cold draft.

"Son of a bitch..." she muttered.

This was the last thing she wanted to do. She hated doing things by herself and letting someone else take full credit for it. The last time she did, it left her burned by Chad. Of course, Chad's idea was more about manipulating her, while Harry had proper reason to avoid Evie. She dropped the book and her purse on the island before opening up the book to a sugar cookie recipe she bookmarked earlier. It was simple and easy enough to do, and the less time she was here, the better.

She turned around and grabbed the supplies from the huge storage closet behind her. She managed to shut the door with her foot before the supplies dropped from her hands in shock, the metal mixing bowl echoing throughout the kitchen.

Harry had sneaked in without her knowledge yet again, and he was sitting there on the Island, chewing a piece of gum and fiddling with a thread on one of the sleeves of his jacket. Evie was at least grateful he had the decency to show up. He could do incredibly basic tasks and save himself from the utter embarrassment of a failing grade. She bent back down and picked up the items she dropped before placing them on the island.

"I see scaring people is still your specialty" she muttered under her breath.

Harry heard her, and while this would make him crack a smile, he flat out refused to let his frown betray him. Evie continued on with her one-sided conversation with him.

"So, what made you show up? Was it to see me like before or was it because I threatened to make you a failure?" Evie asked, trying to get something out of him. It didn't have any effect on Harry, who sat there, staring at her with his mouth chewing his piece of gum.

"Ok, since you're just going to sit there with that dumbass look on your face, I'll tell you what you will be doing throughout this whole process. Got it? Then, we can go our separate ways and never speak of this again."

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, not caring much about the whole thing. Both of them would rather be somewhere else, but they had to be here tonight or else Merryweather would drop their grades, and Evie could not let that happen. She was almost expelled twice; she didn't need to be kicked out on the third try.

Evie rolled her eyes and proceeded to the fridge to grab the eggs. She cracked open one of them into the bowl before grabbing the teaspoon and pouring the vanilla in and stirring. She avoided looking at Harry throughout the ordeal and the awkwardness that surrounded them like a thick, warm blanket.

"Can you hop off your ass and grab the sugar from behind you?"

He hopped off the island and grabbed the sugar as she had asked before placing it on the island with more force than necessary. She muttered "thanks" before she focused her attention back on the bowl and the mindless task of stirring. It didn't capture her attention long enough since she stopped working and looked at him.

"Since you're not going to say anything, I guess I'll get my chance to speak and say what I really wanted to say last night."

Harry shrugged his shoulders again, a sign Evie took to continue on with her thought.

"Look. I know we left on bad terms, and I know it wasn't easy for the both of us. None of us had the right to act like we did those nights. But even last night, you running away again crushed me. I wanted to talk this out and you had to be dramatic like always and leave because you didn't get your way."

Harry shot her a glare, but she was quick to match it back.

"I know you didn't believe me that night, and you had damn good reason to, but I'm asking you to believe me right now."

There was a plea in her voice, like If Harry didn't believe her, she would shatter and become unfixable.

"I'm sorry I broke that promise to you. I knew how much it meant for you to get off that Isle; God knows we all wanted to. But I became so selfish and obsessed with Auradon that it didn't cross my mind to bring you over after we defeated Maleficent. I'm sorry that I hurt you that much when I left and I'm sorry for all this yelling at you and calling you an asshole. I'm just sorry for everything that happened. I never wanted any of it to happen. You were one of the few people who ever stuck by me on the Isle, and I treated you like shit." she concluded, tears starting to build up in her eyes.

Harry looked over at her and believed her that moment. She was hurt by all of this, and she was hurt by the actions he did. Harry never wanted any of this to happen either. He wanted to just pick right up where they left off and have their happily ever after in Auradon, but fairy tale endings only happen in the books. No one ever truly lived happily ever after. A fight or two was always bound to happen and in some cases, they were nasty.

The room fell silent again, the only sounds in that room was Evie stirring the mixture in the bowl and the freezer kicking on. She just wished he would say something. She'd rather hear him yell at her than just sit there quietly. But then, that moment came.

"I'm sorry as well princess" Harry said, his voice so soft and quiet that you could miss it if you weren't listening hard enough.

"What was that? A little louder? She asked, wiping the tears that had fallen out of her eyes. Her lips were quivering into a smile.

Harry rolled his eyes and proceeded to repeat what he said. "I'm sorry as well princess."

She inwardly applauded herself. _At least he's talking to me._

"I'm sorry for yelling at ye. A princess like ye doesn't deserve tae be treated like that. Ye deserve the world and I gave ye less than that. Yer right, I'm an arsehole."

This was a side of Harry only Evie and his siblings saw, the vulnerable and soft side he had. Evie didn't realize how much she hurt him by walking out until this moment. He wasn't playing a sympathy game. He was beating himself up over this whole incident.

"You're not an asshole. Ok maybe you can be one, but you're much more than that. Truly Harry, you're incredibly loyal, you're smarter than people realize, and you do have a heart inside there, even if there are cement walls around it."

Harry's lips turned up into a small smile. This was one of the few times he ever received a compliment from someone. A true compliment at least. It wasn't one that admired his remarkable thieving ability or his sword fighting prowess, but one that admired who he was as a person.

"I guess we still have a lot tae work out, don't we?" Harry asked.

"Yeah...we do. But I'll forgive you if you forgive me?"

Harry nodded his head, and Evie let a smile grace her lips. Her mood had perked up at this, and her face was giving off that natural glow that never came with makeup. This was the Evie Harry loved to see.

"Let's just focus on this right now. We're making sugar cookies."

Harry rolled his eyes again. "Once again princess, ye take the safe, easy way out. A life without risk is a life ain't worth livin' according tae ma' dad."

"Well then, Mr. culinary expertise, what do we suggest we do?"

"Ye can start by dumping that shite out of the bowl and getting' a new one. Ye need tae give auld Merryweather somethin' she ain't seen before."

Evie turned to the trashcan and dumped the mixture out of the bowl. Meanwhile, Harry grabbed the cook book and was flipping through it before his eyes landed on the perfect recipe.

"Try this one lass."

Evie turned the book to face her. The page Harry flipped to contained a recipe for pumpkin cinnamon cookies. A perfect recipe for the upcoming autumn season.

"Hmm...seems easy enough. And you're right, I doubt anyone has done this one before."

For the next few minutes, Harry and Evie worked side by side in comfortable silence, adding all the ingredients before Harry started to stir the mixture and Evie proceeded to turn on the oven. A few times their arms or hands would brush each other, and it felt like little sparks were flowing between them. They both still felt that familiar pull to each other in the pit of their stomachs. He placed twelve rolled up balls on the baking sheet, and Evie placed the sheet in the oven.

The timer eventually went off, and Evie grabbed an oven mitt and grabbed the sheet out of the oven. Using a spatula, Harry scooped the cookies off the sheet and placed them on a plate before wrapping them in saran wrap. The whole kitchen smelled like autumn.

"Aye, let me grab that for ye" Harry said, reaching out to grab the plate of cookies. Evie insisted on carrying it herself, but with her purse and book already in her arms, she had no way to balance all three of them out.

They exited the kitchen and proceeded down the hallway out of the cafeteria. They made their way up the staircase, where they would eventually part as Harry's dorm was on the other side of the corridor.

"Just keep them in your dorm tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

Evie headed off in the direction of her dorm, until she realized she was being followed. She stopped and turned around to face her follower.

"You know, you don't have to follow me back to my dorm."

"Aye, but what pirate and gentlemen would I be if I let a princess walk herself back? Plus, Gil would eat all these blasted cookies before we turned them in."

"You should have no problem with that basic chivalry class next semester" Evie giggled, and Harry cracked a genuine smile that time. Evie's giggle was music to his ears, and it was a sound he loved to hear.

Evie opened the door and Harry placed the cookies on Mal's desk, noticing how clean Mal's side was, but he didn't bring up the point to Evie.

"Look Harry, I know we can't just jump back into what we had, but maybe we could try being friends again?"

Harry let out a sigh, but he knew it had to be done. Even though they apologized and forgave each other, it would be a while until that bridge was fully reconstructed, but the first stones were getting sealed into place. It all depended on how long they wanted to wait.

"If ye insist."

Evie hadn't meant to, but she felt natural wrapping her arms around Harry in a hug. Before long, she felt those safe, strong arms wrap around her and soft lips being pressed to her forehead. Both of them had their eyes closed and were melting into the embrace. Evie's hugs always managed to ground down Harry, and Harry's hugs always managed to make Evie feel safe and secure.

"Awesome dude! Get it! Hey, if you need me to leave the key outside the door, just let me know" Gil said outside of the dorm, absent of Freddie hanging off his arm. It didn't get past her that Freddie's dorm was down this way and Gil's was on the other side.

Evie blushed, forgetting that the dorm door was left wide open for anyone and everyone to see in. She was still embarrassed with public, intimate moments, much like Mal is.

"Beat it before I hook ye" Harry threatened back, making Evie giggle again.

"I guess that's your cue to leave."

"I don't have tae leave. I could always stay here and we could have some fun" he said, wiggling his eyebrows at the suggestive tone in his voice.

Evie rolled her eyes, but managed to smile afterwards.

"Sorry hook boy. Your charm isn't working tonight. I need to catch up on some sleep."

"Can't blame a pirate for tryin'. Nighty-night princess" Harry said, giving her a bow before walking out and closing the door behind him.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Chapter Twelve Rough Spoiler**

 _"Well, well, well. What a nice surprise" he said, giving Evie his signature charming smile._

 _Evie only looked back at him with a smile of her own. It definitely became easier to tolerate him since their make up._

 _"I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd stop by and see you" she said, flipping her hair back with her gloved hand._

 _It was a complete bold-faced lie. She had actively sought him out after his final class to surprise him with a face to face conversation._


	12. Chapter 12: A Nice Little Chat

**A/N**

 **Welcome back everyone. I hope you enjoy this section of the story, and I hope you enjoyed a very light-hearted Hevie chapter. Feel free to review like always and happy reading!**

 **Synopsis of the next few chapters**

 _Harry and Evie's relationship starts to kick up, and it's not long before something big happens. But before that, Ben proposes a plan that involves the VKs and Pirates working together. Can Evie and Ben manage to get everyone on the same side, or will Ben's plan fall through?_

* * *

The end of the week was finally here.

It had been almost a full week since Harry started his new life here in Auradon. Out of all three of the new pirates, Gil seemed to transition into Auradon life the easiest. He was a villain kid, but he was often like Jay. He was often neutral when compared to the others; his big acts of villainy being petty stealing from food stalls and giving the food to Uma, only to eat and scarf it down later. One often wondered why Gil ran with the pirates when they were on the extreme end of the villain scale, especially since he was often the brunt of their jokes and abuse. The pirates offered him something he lacked during all those years he drifted away from them: friendship and companionship. Although he was picked for his muscle and brute strength that he inherited from his father, his true motive was for companionship.

While Gil transitioned easily like a caterpillar to a butterfly here in Auradon, Harry and Uma had a much harder time in their transitions, particularly Harry. While Uma was smart and intelligent enough to fake her way through, Harry couldn't easily fake his way through Auradon. That's probably why people still took a step to the side when he walked by. While some aspects of his new home were pleasant, such as the delicious and edible food; the comfortable, plush bed; and the warm, refreshing showers, other aspects of it were downright horrible.

The classes at Auradon Prep were the bane of his entire existence, especially his mathematics and remedial goodness 101 classes. Numbers had always been a problem for him, evident by his problem of telling time correctly. When the time came for numbers to be used, Uma was the one to handle them. He managed to work hard in his mathematics class and understood some concepts, but he never managed to have that major breakthrough yet. Evie tried to be of some help to him, whispering the right answers behind him when he was called upon, but in general, he avoided any chance of being called on out of fear of embarrassment.

The one class he hated with a living passion was his remedial goodness 101 class. He didn't know what it was about that class that he hated: the fact that all the correct answers were boring and dull or if it was the way Fairy Godmother went to dramatic extremes to present the questions and answers. The obvious sound that was made in that room was a snort or a snigger with an eye roll to match it. Uma was their top student thanks to her knowledge of "right" from "wrong." The entire class was boring in general: Gil was often flipping through the book finding something else to do, Uma often picked at her nails and played with the ends of her turquoise braids, and Harry often fell asleep.

In fact, he was sleeping right now in the remedial goodness class. His head was supported by his right hand, and his mouth hung open a little, producing a faint snoring sound. He made no attempts to disguise how he felt about this class and its entire reason for existing. Fairy Godmother's voice was droning on and on in the background.

"Next question" she said, her soft and motherly-like voice floating around the room. "If you find a wallet on the sidewalk filled with money, what should you do? Do you turn it in to lost and found; do you keep it for yourself and purchase something nice; or do you keep it on the ground and walk past it?"

Of course, she did not hold back from her acting skills when presenting the choices. She turned her attention to Harry in order to get him to answer the question, but she was met with closed eyes and a soft snoring sound.

"Harry!" Fairy Godmother said, her voice raised to get him to wake up from his afternoon nap.

He woke up with a shock on his face at his afternoon nap being rudely interrupted because of a class. Gil and Uma were staring at him, a smirk playing on Uma's lips.

Fairy Godmother used her pointer stick to draw attention to the board with the question written on it. Harry studied the question, but he was drawing a massive blank. He eventually chose the wrong answer...again, leaving Fairy Godmother slightly dejected.

"No, Harry" she sighed. "You don't keep it for yourself. You need to turn it in so the owner has a chance of reclaiming it."

He rolled his eyes at the answer. Why was the correct answer always the less fun option? It seemed like everyone in Auradon followed the rules to a tee and didn't have any sort of fun. So what exactly did they do here in Auradon? Harry knew Evie had her fashion business, but that wasn't going to peak his interest at all.

The bell finally rung, symbolizing the start of the weekend. Harry grabbed his things and swaggered out of the classroom behind Uma and Gil. Once again, he was the only one to not get a single answer correct. Even Gil managed to get some answers correct, which only made Harry feel worse about himself. He had no reason to considering he would fare better than some of the others on the Isle, but the benchmark in this class was Gil and Uma, and he was falling below it.

He was whistling a tune his father taught him when he turned the corner into the main area of the library, almost smacking into someone with blue hair, effectively stopping his whistling. This was the first time they met since their cooking project on account of Evie trying to keep to herself. Through multiple text conversations, Harry found out about her fight with Mal and how she felt about it, but they never went into full depth about it. Evie had another class here in the library, but this was the first time she actively sought out the pirate on her own. Harry tried to speak face to face with her, but she managed to slip by him on previous attempts.

"Well, well, well. What a nice surprise" he said, giving Evie his signature charming smile.

Evie only looked back at him with a smile of her own. It definitely became easier to tolerate him since their make up.

"I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd stop by and see you" she said, flipping her hair back with her gloved hand.

It was a complete bold-faced lie. She had actively sought him out after his final class to surprise him with a face to face conversation.

"So, how did remedial goodness go?"

Harry just looked at her with a look that screamed "don't ask." She could only laugh at his expression, completely understanding his feelings toward the class. However, she only "struggled" in that class because of her "dumb girl" charade to get a prince. She knew the answers like she knew every shade of lipstick she had in her bathroom cabinet in her dorm.

"That bad, huh?"

"I don't know how ye Bor-e-don kids have any fun 'round here. Seems like all ye do is be nice tae everyone and follow rules. Also, that Fairy lady needs tae cool it with her acting."

Evie just shrugged her shoulders. He did have a point.

"That's how she is. You'll get used to it eventually. But if you want a secret to passing that class, just pick the answer that doesn't sound like any fun. That's what Mal told..." her voice trailed off at the thought of Mal.

An awkward silence now fell over them. This was the first time that Evie uttered her name since her talk with Jay and Carlos, and it only made her feel sad and hurt. She tried to distract herself with her other friends,, but it didn't always work.

"How are things with ye and Malsie?" Harry asked, unsure of how to judge her reaction.

Evie looked down at her heels while they walked out of the library. She didn't know how to put it into words or how to describe it. Ben did stop by on the second day of Mal's self-exile from their dorm for an update. Besides that encounter, she never really "saw" Ben or Mal after that. She did have a meeting with Ben coming up that she had to attend, so at least she would see him, but she didn't know if the future Queen would be present.

"The last thing I heard was that she was still mad at me, and that was the day of our project. She hasn't been around the group or anything, and she avoided looking or talking to us in class."

Harry looked at her with sympathy on his face. Those following days, he felt slightly guilty at indirectly causing this rift between the two former best friends.

"Ye know I didn't mean for ye and Mal tae end like this."

"No, I know that, but I felt like she drove me to say it, you know? You can only suppress your emotions for so long. Besides, I'm waiting for her to make the first move."

"Ahhh, smart lass" Harry said, tapping his finger to his temple. "Hard tae think ye never let this smartness show up on the Isle for all those years."

"What can I say? I am my mother's daughter after all. Anyways, let's try and avoid that subject. Let's go back to how we Auradonian kids don't have any fun."

"What?! It's true anyway..."

Evie let out a small giggle. It was true that almost all the Auradonian kids followed the rules, but they did know how to have fun from time to time.

"We know how to have fun, we just have to make it, just like we did on the Isle. There is a small gathering next Saturday if you want to come. Jane's throwing a "back to school" type of party. You can meet some of the others if you want."

Harry meditated on this suggestion. He was never one to attend parties or "small gatherings" and if he did, it was only for the pirate crew to crash and trash it as a revenge plot or as a way to cause mischief. One party he crashed was an Anthony Tremaine one, and it was considered the "party crash of the Isle." He also had no desire in meeting some of the other Auradon kids. They always looked sideways at him and often clutched their belongings a little tighter to their bodies when he passed by, as if he would swipe them from under their noses.

"What else ye got, princess?"

Evie slightly blushed at the nickname as they made their way under the large Oak tree. She always liked being called princess by him, and he was always called "my captain", a term that made him melt into her hand like chocolate ice cream on a warm, summer day.

"Well..." she began, thinking of other ideas. "There's always clubs you can join. Carlos and Doug are in the engineering club. I used to be in the future fashionistas of Auradon before I quit for my business. I can get you a list if you want."

Harry quickly shook his head. He also was one not to join clubs, preferring to go solo on his adventures. He only joined Uma's crew because she threatened to keep his hook from him. Plus, he had no desire to join a club that had any ex-boyfriends in it.

"Ok, so clubs are out. Well, there are always sports and athletics we have here."

Harry's eyes lit up slightly. Sports and athletics on the Isle weren't much. Physical education was often just jogging around the basement of Dragon Hall; at Serpent Prep, it was sword training and rope climbing. Harry's curiosity was coming out, and Evie took this as a chance to run with it. Perhaps this would help him adjust better. It did with Jay.

"What 'sports' do ye have here in Bor-e-don?"

"Right now, it's Tourney, but next semester there's something called the Royal Order of Auradon Regiment or R.O.A.R., which is like fencing mixed with parkour. You'd be really good at it after a few sessions. You might even be able to dethrone some of the princes on the team."

"What's this 'Tourney' ye speak of?"

Evie opened the door to the main building, and Harry held it open for her to enter. They made their way up the flight of stairs and turned the corner to head to Evie's dorm room.

"It's like lacrosse. You play it with sticks, only the difference is there's a zone where people shoot things at you called the kill zone. It's quite the popular sport here in Auradon. Jay was named captain of the team after Ben quit. He had a natural ability to it, and he does have fun at it."

"No thank ye. If Jay's gonna be ma' captain, I want no part of it."

Evie knew the history between him and Jay, but Jay had changed quite a bit from the Jay Harry knew. Jay didn't feel the euphoric rush that stealing gave him, but preferred the euphoric rush that Tourney and competition gave him. Winning was the whipped cream and cherry of the ice cream sundae.

"Oh come on. He's not that bad anymore. If you want, I can talk to him about it. I heard the coach needs some more rough people on the team, especially since the Imperial Academy is made up of trained warriors and we have princes."

"There are other schools here in Bor-e-don?"

"Mhm. There's quite a bit actually. But, Auradon Prep is the most exclusive one to join. All the royals have attended this school."

"That'll explain why ye have so many snowflake princes here. Seems like they're afraid tae live a little."

Evie let out another giggle, causing Harry to smile as well. They finally reached her dorm, and she unlocked the door and let them in. She placed her things down on her desk before turning her attention to Harry, who made himself comfortable on her bed. She slipped off her heels and sat down on her bed facing Harry.

"Tourney try-outs are tomorrow if you're interested. If you go, I could maybe find the time to come and watch you, and maybe attend a game or two" she said, before slipping her hand into Harry's and linking their fingers together. Even as friends, these displays of affections were always natural to them, but they both knew it would mean "more."

Harry's eyes lit up, and he knew he would be incredibly stupid to turn this down. If it meant seeing her more often, he had to jump at the chance.

"If it means that much tae ye, I guess I could somehow end up there taemorrow."

Evie gave him a dazzling smile, which caused him to return it. Having Harry in a good mood always managed to put her in a good mood as well.

"You'll enjoy it. You might even be quite the natural at it like Jay is. Plus, if Carlos could learn to play it and be good at it, so can you."

Harry looked at her with slight disbelief on his face. For all the years of little information he knew about Carlos, he was never one to be the athletic type. He always preferred his inventions and school, never sports. But, if Carlos was able to learn, he could as well. Plus, he did have a slight advantage given that he already had a good build and was quite the parkour artist as well.

"Don't give me that look. It's entirely true. Ben helped him be really good AND he even managed to get Carlos to like a dog."

"Now I know yer lyin'."

"It's true though. Carlos takes care of him now."

Harry just shook his head, an amused expression gracing his features. He looked over at the clock on her wall, seeing that he had fifteen minutes before he was scheduled to meet Gil outside for a "bro-adventure." It usually included searching for food to fulfill Gil's insatiable appetite. Other times, it was them exploring other areas of Auradon. Their last adventure led them to the courtyard that family day was hosted at.

"Well, as fun as this was, I need tae be off. Only got fifteen until four."

"Uh...Harry, you only have ten minutes until it's four."

He looked at her skeptically, pulling his pocket watch out of his pocket and gave it a good look. The princess was right; he did only have ten minutes to go.

"Listen Harry. I'm not trying to make you feel stupid or anything, but are you struggling in classes?"

Harry looked at her with a frown on his face. He didn't want to admit it, but he was having trouble in his classes.

"I won't make fun of you" she said, rubbing her thumb on his gloved hand.

"I guess. It's just them damn numbers confusin' me. History of Auradon and that goodness class suck the damn life out of me. I don't know how ye put up with it."

Evie looked at him with sympathy on her face, before the light bulb went off above her head. It was a brilliant idea, and one that Harry would not turn down if he was smart.

"Well, how about you stop by my dorm next week on Monday and Wednesday, and I'll help tutor you in those classes. We have an exam on Tuesday, so we can study for it on Monday."

"Ye'd really do that for me?" Harry asked.

"Of course I would. This is Auradon, and we always help each other out. That's what friends are for" she said before realizing what she did say. _Dammit..._

"I'll see ye taemorrow then princess" he said, kissing her hand and getting off the bed, making his way over to the door. She followed him over to the door to see him out.

"It'll be ok. Ye and Malsie will work it out."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes. Harry wasn't often sympathetic or encouraging, but when it came out, it made her soft. He could be two different people. Of course, whenever he was around her, he was always less intimidating and cruel.

"If I make the team taemorrow, how about ye and I celebrate it?"

"I'd like that, so make sure you plan something good, because you will be on the team, and I'm a girl who likes to be impressed."

Harry gave her a smile before bowing and leaving the dorm. Evie poked her head out and stared at his retreating figure, before turning back inside and shutting the door with a click.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I hope you all had a very fun Halloween as I certainly did. I went as Carlos (guilty) and saw so many Mals and Evies, but no Umas or Jays surprisingly. If you wish to see my interpretation of Carlos, you can check out/follow (if you desire) my twitter, which will be listed in my profile. Also, feel free to check out some of my other favorite series and fanfictions as well.**


	13. Chapter 13: Tourney 101

**A/N**

 **Happy reading! Check out the bottom for a special something.**

* * *

Evie and Carlos were sitting in Carlos' and Jay's dorm at the round table this morning. The 3-D printer had a new home on a table in the corner near the bathroom since Jay originally used the table to spread out the sheets of paper on tourney plays. The windows were open, allowing the sunlight in and a soft breeze enter that caressed their faces gently.

Carlos and Evie often met together for study sessions and going over homework answers. Since they took a lot of classes together, it made perfect sense. This morning, they were going over some review notes in preparation for Tuesday's exam for their History of Auradon class. They usually met later in the day, but since tourney try-outs were later this morning and Evie had a meeting with Ben in the afternoon, this early morning time was when they could meet. Carlos' tourney gear lay in a nice pile near the foot of his bed, ready to grab easily.

"Northern Wei borders which region of Auradon?" Carlos asked, notebook in his hand.

"Lone Keep, where Agrabah is located" Evie replied in a bored, dull voice.

They had been over this information countless times, but because it was a required course, they had to bear through it once again. Luckily, it was only review for the first few days, and then it would be more in-depth discussions about the regions of Auradon.

"Bayou de Orleans is in which direction from Auradon?" Carlos asked again.

"Located East of Auradon, and located south of East Riding."

"South Riding is home to which two kingdoms?"

"Auroria and Tangleton."

"You are on fire girl" Carlos said.

"Eh, not really 'on fire' when it's the same stuff we learned last year."

Carlos nodded his head in agreement. While he may love learning and school, he did get tired of learning the same old, same old every day. He was a sponge, and he had to constantly soak in new information. Almost every book in the library was read by him, and the librarians were angered more than once at his persistent asking of when new books would be arriving.

"I think that's enough for today" Carlos mentioned, closing up the notebook and placing it under his History of Auradon textbook.

"I think that's enough to last me a lifetime" Evie said rubbing her temples, causing Carlos to laugh.

The clocktower outside the castle chimed nine times, indicating the time in the morning. Usually around this time, Carlos would take Dude for a walk around the grounds of Auradon Prep. Carlos asked Evie to come this morning, and since she didn't have much to do, she graciously accepted the offer.

"So, I heard that you and Harry made up and are back as best friends" Carlos said, starting the conversation after shutting and locking the door. He didn't need Chad breaking in again.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call us 'best friends' just yet. We've had conversations, but I don't think we reached the 'best friend' stage yet" Evie said, closing the clasp on her heart purse after putting her lip stain back in it.

"Uh huh...and the fact that he carried the cookies, walked you back to your dorm, and hugged and kissed your forehead doesn't indicate anything?"

She turned her head and looked at Carlos so fast she might have gotten whiplash that very moment.

"How did you know he did that? We were the only ones in the corridor that night. There's no way you would've known that."

Carlos gave her a cheeky grin. "I overheard Gil and him talking about it in our pirates class. He was trying to be discreet about it, but you know how loud and oblivious Gil can be."

"Dammit Gil..." she muttered under her breath.

"So...it was true?"

Evie gave him a small smile and nodded her head, confirming what Carlos heard was true. He smiled before opening up the door to the castle and making a left, heading towards the Rose Garden. Right now, it was full of beautiful roses in delicate shades of pink and red, but the entire landscape of Auradon would turn brown, red, and orange once autumn made its full impact.

"I'm guessing by that smile that something else happened with him. Care to explain?"

"I may have...held his hand yesterday" she replied, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

Now it was Carlos' turn to smile. They eventually found a bench and sat down, with Dude running around his favorite patch of grass in the distance.

"And for some reason, you still don't consider yourselves 'best friends' yet..." he mumbled.

"Hey!" she said, giving his shoulder a playful shove.

"Anyways...have you talked to Mal at all?" Carlos asked, hoping to hear some good news out of that incident.

Evie sighed and shook her head, her blue trusses flowing with the movement. She saw Mal wandering around the school and attending classes, but a full blown conversation between the two was as elusive as a dream. Whenever Mal spotter her, she quickly turned her head and went the other way. It didn't escape Evie that Mal dyed her hair a darker color purple, but the length was still the same, and she swore her eyes were a deeper shade of green than normal.

"No, we haven't talked yet, and I doubt we will."

Carlos' cheery mood fell. He hated when the group fought because they were all they had now. Their parents were left behind on the Isle, and they would never see them again. While everyone in Auradon had their parents and grandparents here, the only family they had were each other.

"I wish you guys would just work this out. I'm tired of you guys fighting, or when any of us fight.

"Carlos, it's just natural that we fight. Honestly, I'm not upset that I said it; I'm only upset at the fact that she said I was a horrible best friend for agreeing with one thing Uma said. I willingly followed her every move and every plan."

"So then, why not just go confront her first?"

"Because, I'm waiting for her to make the first move. I've done it plenty of times before. Maybe it's time for her to make it."

Carlos stared down at his combat boots, thinking how to word this next sentence.

"So...your plan is to fight her pride with your pride?"

Evie's eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "Well...I guess when you put it that way..."

"Look, you have two options here. You are obviously feeling sad about losing her. So, you can either search her out and make the first move, or wait until Ben forces you two to speak. Trust me, when Mal is forced to do anything, she becomes the most stubborn person in the world."

Silence fell over them as Evie tried to digest what he just said. If she made the first move, Mal might have a better chance of listening to her. But if Ben forced her to speak to Evie, it will only make her resent both her and Ben. If that happens, Mal might as well pack her bags and head on back to the Isle again. Evie couldn't let that happen. It only led to problems with Ben and Uma, but maybe this time it wouldn't be as bad since Uma was now in Auradon.

"Damn you being right all the time" she muttered.

Carlos chuckled. "Trust me, you'll thank me later."

Dude scampered back to them and was running circles around the bench, indicating that he wanted to go back inside. Carlos and Evie stood up and headed back to the dorm, owing to the fact that Carlos needed to grab his Tourney gear for try-outs.

"So, are you coming to Tourney try-outs? I know Lonnie is because Jay promised her something if she came" he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Mhm. I promised Harry that I would go if he tried out."

Carlos stared at her with wide eyes, almost ramming face first into the front doors of the castle.

"He's trying out for Tourney?"

Evie just looked at him with confusion on her face.

"Why not? I think he'll be a good addition for you guys. You're already down a member because Ben dropped out to do his royal duties, so you might as well let him try-out. If anything, he can be there to neutralize Chad for you."

They made their way up the staircase and proceeded down the corridor to Carlos' dorm.

"But...Harry of all people? He isn't one to join a 'team sport', nor is he one of those people to have Jay as his captain."

"Oh how you forget little Carlos" she said, ruffling his hair, effectively messing up his "grown-up" part. "Jay was in exactly the same boat when he first tried out, and now he's captain of the team. "

They finally reached Carlos' dorm; he unlocked the door and let Dude enter in first, who immediately went to the water bowl.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

He looked absolutely ridiculous if you were to ask him. Harry was wearing body amour underneath a white t-shirt and blue shorts, making him look bulky and awkward. He was wearing the blue practice jersey and carrying the stick and helmet in his hand. His hook was left behind in the locker room as it was considered a "dangerous weapon" and "illegal", whatever that meant. He put his other hand up to shield his eyes from the harsh, bright sunlight. He could already feel sweat seeping out of his skin underneath this heavy amour and sunlight.

He made his way out of the opened doorway of the locker room building, with Gil scrambling behind him in an effort to catch up. Unlike Harry, Gil was carrying one of the defender's shields. Being the uncoordinated klutz that he is, he tripped over his feet, the items in his hands flying out in front of him. Harry let out an exaggerated sigh before turning around and helping his friend up.

They proceeded onto the Tourney field, noting who was already there. Besides Jay and Carlos, other students were there that they had no idea who they were. The sport really did seem to be popular as multiple people were hanging around the field in yellow and blue jerseys. He glanced over to the side of the field and noticed the cheerleaders in full on practice mode, including Jane and Audrey. He wasn't one to converse with Jane much since she had a terrible fear of him, but Audrey kept trying to corner him off and force a conversation with him after their History of Woodsmen and Pirates Class, much to his annoyance.

"I don't know why you talked me into this. I don't even know why we're doing this in the first place" Gil said adjusting his bandana on his head.

"Ahh shut up and quit yer bitchin'."

He glanced up at the stands and noticed a familiar blue color there. She really did come. He thought she was just bluffing, but she was here and sitting in the stands. She was chatting with Lonnie about something funny, because she was throwing her head back in laughter. He always loved her when she was carefree and happy. She was always one to play close to the rules, but when she allowed herself to be free and take risks, she was a true beauty.

Unfortunately for Harry, Gil glanced in his direction, before his mouth dropped open and a sudden realization burst onto his face.

"Now I get it. You're doing it for her!"

Harry immediately rounded on him, making himself bigger, effectively making Gil shrink back. The smudgy guyliner he now wore made him look much more intimidating up close.

"I suggest ye lose that train of thought."

Gil swallowed hard and nodded his head quickly. Satisfied by his answer, Harry marched onward towards the group of people, with Gil stumbling behind him.

"But if you're doing it for her, why am I here?"

"Yer here tae make sure I'm not the only one who makes an arse out of himself."

Gil opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the coach's booming voice.

"Ok, listen up!" Coach Jenkins shouted as soon as they made their way into the group. "With our captain gone, we needed a new center forward. Lucky for us, Jay will take that spot. Unfortunately, it leaves us lacking a left forward."

Coach Jenkins looked over the potential team, noticing how scrawny some of them were. Forwards couldn't be scrawny or have little muscle on their bodies or else they would be sitting on the bench injured longer than their playing time. He checked off each person mentally before his eyes settled on Harry and Gil.

"Ahh...you two must be the new transfers, Hook and LeGume."

Gil raised his hand and waved, while Harry just gave him a look that told him"duh."

"Seriously, you're letting MORE of them onto the team?" Chad whined from behind Coach Jenkins. He was already upstaged by Jay last year and now he was in the same position to be upstaged by Gil and Harry.

"Naww, is someone afraid I'll dirty his wee little skirt?" Harry shot back.

Chad went red in the face from embarrassment, while the rest of the group shouted things like "burn" and snickered. It was safe to say that Chad and Harry hated each other. Harry was constantly annoyed at how Chad carried himself as the "second in line for the throne" if something were to happen to Ben. Chad hated Harry because Audrey was paying more attention to him.

"Both of you shut up. Let's start with some simple passing drills."

Harry had some idea on how to play Tourney through a text conversation through Evie. He knew that the idea was to pass the ball between the three forwards in order to score, plus there was the added benefit of tackling people. Coach Jenkins finally paired up everyone in the group, leaving Harry alone for the moment.

"Hook, you're with Charming."

Both of them gave the coach the "are you kidding me" look, but with everyone else paired up, there was no other option. Both of them made equal distance between each other, tourney sticks in hand. Chad tossed the ball to Harry, who caught it and whacked it back at him, making Chad take a step back to avoid lose of balance.

"Hey, watch how hard you throw that thing. It's only a drill..."

"Get over it ye princess..."

Chad smacked the ball back to Harry in revenge, but he caught it with ease and sent it flying directly back to him.

"I don't know who the bigger princess is, ye or that Audrey" Harry taunted him.

"Leave Audrey out of this. What she sees in that ugly, brute thing you call a body is beyond me. She needs to be with a real prince and not a dumb pirate."

Chad tossed the ball back to Harry, who caught it and sent it flying directly at Chad's stomach. The impact made Chad double over in pain and sputter. While he did have more training than Harry, his reflexes were not as sharp as the pirate's. Harry had years of sword training, where it was all about anticipation and fast reflexes. Without those, you got a hand cut off...or worse.

"Oh a real prince are ye? A real prince don't take advantage of other girls and make them do their dirty work. A real prince don't put his hands on a princess like ye did."

Harry heard what Chad did to Evie a year ago, and it was safe to say that it angered him a lot. That was just another reason to add to the list or reasons to hate Chad. He didn't know which one was worse: the fact that Chad took advantage of her or the fact that he had the nerve to put his hands on her. No one took advantage of his princess and got away with it. However, it worked out in the end when Chad got knocked out by a sleeping spray by the princess.

The whistle blew, calling an end their drills.

"Alright, let's finish off with running a play. Herkie, you take left forward on blue; Jay, you take center forward on blue; Hook, you take right forward on blue."

Harry trudged over to where Jay and Herkie were standing. Herkie was a strong man, definitely taking after his father.

"Tyrone, left forward on yellow; Charming, center forward on yellow; Aziz, right forward on yellow. Carlos and William, defenders on blue. Emir and LeGume, defenders on yellow. Miguel, you take goalie on blue, Akiho on yellow. Li and Brendan, take dragoneer positions."

Everyone scattered to their appropriate spot. Harry was lined up in front of Tyrone, who took a second to register the sight in front of him.

"On my whistle...three...two...one...GO!" Coach Jenkins blew his whistle, and everyone started forward.

Jay grabbed immediate control of the ball, side-swiping Chad before he passed it over to Herkie. Harry managed to run around Tyrone and right into the path of Emir. He rammed his shoulder into Emir's shield, effectively shoving him to the ground. Herkie had Gil and Tyrone on him, so he passed the ball back to Jay. Harry managed to get himself into the kill zone, and the dragoneers started shooting at him. He had a quick second to look up before he ducked out of the way. Another one came straight at him, and he side-stepped that projectile before he managed to navigate his way out of the kill zone.

Herkie passed the ball to Harry, who caught it before noticing Chad was coming straight at him. He quickly passed the ball back to Jay before he shoved Chad down with more force than necessary. Jay managed to avoid being tackled by Aziz, but was caught by Tyrone. Jay dropped the ball, and Tyrone managed to sweep it up and pass it towards Aziz. All three of them now ran back to the other side.

Carlos managed to knock down Aziz, who sent the ball flying into the air before it was caught by Gil.

"I got it! I got it!" he shouted, before he was swept off his feet by Jay, who regained the ball and was heading back towards the other side.

Jay got blocked off by Emir and Tyrone, which made him pass the ball over to Harry. Harry, sensing that Chad was threatening him again, promptly shoved his whole body into Chad, knocking the wind out of him and onto the ground again. He regained the ball he dropped during his assault and passed it over to Herkie, who passed it back over to him. Harry, sensing he had a decent shot, sent the ball flying towards the goal. Akiho managed to guess wrong, and the ball went flying into the goal. The bell whistled, signaling the end of the play.

The cheerleaders on the sideline were cheering in delight, and Harry had no idea why. It seemed like Auradon had any excuse to cheer for something, even tourney try-outs. He saw Gil gingerly make his way over to the sideline, and Chad was limping on his way over. Harry threw his stick and helmet on the ground before taking a towel and wiping the sweat off his forehead. His guyliner was now smeared everywhere, and black streaks now managed to appear on the bright yellow towel.

Coach Jenkins finished his conversation with Jay before making his way over to Harry.

"Hey...Hook. Are you sure you've never played tourney before?"

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It was true: he never did play tourney until today.

"Well, you do now. Congrats Hook."

He couldn't hide his smirk when he saw the look of disbelief on Chad's face.

"Oh and uh Charming...enjoy being second string to Hook."

"WHAT!" Chad shouted, before pulling the coach off to the side for a very angry tirade.

Harry howled with laughter, and even Jay and Carlos quirked up a smile. All three of them had problems with Chad. Chad was used to getting his way too often that maybe this was the dose of reality he needed and deserved.

"I'll be sticking with the past team we had" Coach Jenkins said to the group before him. "Hook is the new player to the team. LeGume, pack your bags and never pick up a stick ever again. Hook, I'll send a rulebook to your dorm room. First practice is on Monday, and first game is on Friday against the Imperial Academy."

The group disbanded, with everyone picking up their things and heading towards the locker room. Harry turned his attention to the water bottles on the bench. He grabbed one and eagerly gulped it down, effectively draining the bottle. Water on the Isle was often dirty and unclean, but this water was crisp and refreshing. He slung the towel over his shoulder and picked up his stick and helmet.

"Listen you brute" Chad's voice sounded in Harry's ears. "Don't ever think of pulling something like that again. We play by the rules here in case you didn't notice." Chad tried to seem confident, but his voice was faltering due to his nerves.

"Like I'd listen tae anything ye say. I do hope yer dry cleaner is on speed dial; ye'll need him tae wash yer skirts every week, princey boy."

And with that note, Harry shoved his shoulder into Chad again before walking off. He didn't see it, but Chad was rubbing his shoulder. Harry and Jay were stronger than him, but definitely not as strong as Herkie. He made it to the stands, where Evie finished a conversation with Jay and Carlos. His smile immediately perked up at seeing her, and her face lit up when she saw him. He gave her a bow before she laughed in amusement at the sight in front of her.

"So, it seems ye were right princess."

"Hmmm... seems like you say that often. I'll have to make sure to sew it onto a t-shirt for you in the future."

Harry rolled his eyes, and Evie gave him another laugh.

"Anyways, Jay and Carlos told me what happened with you and Chad."

His smile immediately turned into a scowl.

"I don't know how Cindy gave birth tae that thing" he said, before reaching down and lacing his right fingers with Evie's left. "No one takes advantage of a princess or hurts them."

Evie opened the door into a corridor that led to the locker room.

"Well, thanks for sticking up for me. No one has really done that for me before. We only got made fun after we did and insulted for being villains."

"Well, that's not gonna happen tae ma' princess anymore" he said, bring their clasped hands up to kiss the back of hers. Evie's face was turning a light shade of fuchsia, and it wasn't because of her makeup.

Her phone buzzed inside of her bag, and she pulled it, noticing the time.

"As much as I would love to stay and chat, I have a meeting to attend" she stated, releasing their hands and strutting off towards the direction of Ben's office. Before she got far, she turned around and captured his attention again.

"Make sure plan something nice for our celebration" she said, giving him a wink.

She managed to take three steps before she turned back around. Harry stood there with his hand grabbing the handle on the locker room dorm.

"Oh and next time, maybe try waterproof guyliner."

With a flip of her hair, she turned back around and strutted off. Harry gave himself a smile, shook his head, and proceeded into the locker room.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Chapter 14 spoiler:**

 _A few moments later, the door opened up and two guards dressed in yellow jackets, blue vests, and blue pants entered and stood near the back counter._

 _"Your guest, your majesty" one of the replied, moving his arm in the direction of the open door._

 _In that moment, brown heeled boots, blue fringe skirt, and a seashell-adorned pirate hate sauntered in. The faint smell of shrimp was diffusing into the office. After a week, she thought that the smell would've been replaced with something better like lavender or an ocean breeze, but it still lingered in the air._


	14. Chapter 14: The King's Plan (1)

**A/N**

 **Hello everyone! I just want to fair warn you that this chapter has some very brief, but heavy dialogue about some heavy topics. If you are one to be disturbed or skiddish about those, I suggest you skip the dialogue portion near the start of the middle to near the end (you'll know when it starts). It's not incredibly detailed or descriptive, but it is mentioned.**

 **As always, I love reading your reviews about the story, so do not be afraid to leave one.**

 **To a guest reviewer from last chapter, I know. The sexual tension is probably killing you all. But don't be afraid; the action is coming.**

* * *

The clicking and tapping sound of heels echoed through the corridor as Evie made her way down to Ben's office. She glanced at the giant clock on the corridor wall, noting she only had a few more minutes left to make it or else she would be late. This meeting was just another occurrence to happen in her busy, time-filled schedule these days. As Royal Adviser, they often met on Saturdays to discuss the happenings in Auradon, and there were usually snacks and beverages provided, an added bonus Evie always welcomed. It usually consisted of tea or coffee and finger sandwiches made by Ms. Potts.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to Harry and what happened on the tourney field earlier. Harry didn't have a lick of experience playing the sport, but he looked incredibly natural out there. He moved with such grace and poise that nothing seemed to slow him down. She knew that Harry would be a natural at tourney like Jay. Plus, it was an added bonus to see Chad get his ass knocked to the ground twice by him.

But what captured her attention the most was what happened after. Jay and Carlos talked to her about what he did and what he said to Chad that her heart swelled so much she thought it would burst out of her chest. Harry stood up for her, something that her Auradon friends didn't do almost a year ago. They didn't seem to care that Chad took advantage of her, nor did they seem to care that Chad put his hands on her and called her a "gold digger." They were more worried about Chad being knocked out by a sleeping spray, which he rightfully deserved. It was at that moment she realized no prince would be there to save her, but there was a pirate now wandering the halls of Auradon who wouldn't let her be treated that way again.

She finally reached the front door to his office. His office was connected to his bedroom, another added perk of being king. She reached up her fist to knock, but her fist seemed to hang in the space between the door and her body, as if an invisible force field was blocking her. This would be the first time they had a formal conversation since Mal left. She had no idea what would happen at this meeting, nor did she know what to expect. She had two options here: knock and enter, or run back to the safety of her dorm. While the second option seemed much better, her inner bravery and confidence won out, and she knocked on the door.

"Just a minute!" Ben's voice rang out.

She stood there, looking into the screen of her phone, checking her reflection and making sure she was presentable. She heard a soft, female voice in the room, and she had her suspicions of who was in there.

"Come in!" Ben's voice rang out again.

She gingerly opened the door and poked her head in. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a sliver of purple go through the other door into the bedroom, and she knew that Mal had been in here.

"Yes, Evie. Thanks for coming" Ben said, standing up to greet her properly.

She closed the door and proceeded to one of the chairs situated in front of Ben's desk. She placed her notebook and bag in the other seat before taking her seat. Ben's office was small, but it was cozy. Like most of the castle, it was all wooden, but it was contrasted with the leather chairs in the room and the brick wall. The blue curtains were open to let the sun flow in undisturbed, and the telescope was polished to a golden shine. Wood and gold seemed to be the common color scheme in this whole interior, making Evie question who designed the office in the first place. Once he was finished with school, he would be moving into Beast's Castle full time, leaving this room up to whatever Fairy Godmother intended it to be.

"Ms. Potts made some cucumber sandwiches and cappuccinos for today. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all" she said and reached out to grab a cup and a sandwich. She ate the sandwich in one bite, and her insides swooned at the taste. Ms. Potts never cooked anything bad, and every dish she made seemed to be better than the last. Evie swallowed the sandwich, before she spoke up.

"I know she was in here" she said, her face hard and her eyes staring straight at the young King.

Ben choked on his cappuccino, making him cough and pound his chest with his fist.

"Who...who was in here?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know she was in here.

Ben set the cup down on the desk and clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them.

"How is she?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Ben let out a sigh and leaned back into his chair. "She's doing better. She finally ate something on Thursday after I begged her to. If I had to guess at her emotions and what she's feeling, I would say she's still slightly mad at you."

"Figured she would be..."

"Listen, Evie. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or anything, but she broke down the other night. I've never seen her that vulnerable and upset before. She refused to eat anything until I begged her to. I did ask her to apologize to you, but I have no idea if she will. It's all up to her decision."

She nodded her head, accepting his answer. At least Ben was trying to bring them back together, but this was going to be difficult. The fact that Mal broke down like that only made Evie feel more guilty than she already felt, even though Ben said he wasn't trying to make her feel guilty. Mal wasn't one to experience this kind of emotional trauma. Maybe she did in private, just never showing it in public.

"Anyways, let's discuss what I wanted to talk about: the Isle."

He shuffled some papers around on his desk, trying to get them in order of topic and relevance. Evie reached over and grabbed her notebook, opening it up to a blank space; she reached into her bag and grabbed out a pen.

Once the paper shuffling was done, Ben pushed the button on his intercom.

"Debra?"

"Yes, your majesty" the feminine voice said.

"Is my guest here yet?"

"She is. I'll send her in sir."

A few moments later, the door opened up and two guards dressed in yellow jackets, blue vests, and blue pants entered and stood near the back counter.

"Your guest, your majesty" one of the replied, moving his arm in the direction of the open door.

In that moment, brown heeled boots, blue fringe skirt, and a seashell-adorned pirate hat sauntered in. The faint smell of shrimp was diffusing into the office and floating into their nostrils, making it smell of low tide. After a week, she thought that the smell would've been replaced with something better like lavender or an ocean breeze, but it still lingered in the air around her.

"Uma! Please, take a seat."

Uma walked over and sat in the now unoccupied seat next to Evie. The guards bowed their heads and stepped out, shutting the door behind them.

"Is there a reason you asked me to be here? I have better things to do" Uma said.

"Yes, there is a reason why I asked you to be here. But first, can I interest you in a cucumber sandwich and a cappuccino?" he asked, holding the plate up and out to her.

Uma looked at the plate he was holding skeptically, before hesitantly reaching out to grab one. She gingerly took a small bite of it, before pushing the rest of it into her mouth. She managed to grab three more before she took the cup of coffee. This was much better than the fried clams and chips in her mother's restaurant.

"Ok, now that everyone is fed, let's proceed shall we?"

Evie clicked the top of her pen, while Uma remained staring at Ben.

"Well, Uma. Remember when we had our conversation on your boat?"

"Oh, you mean the one where you begged for your life and then managed to ask me to come to Auradon, six months after everyone else got invited?" she told him, bitterness clear in her voice.

Ben looked at her sheepishly. Uma wasn't one to forget a misdeed, especially one as large as this. Ben knew he had no excuse to offer this time, and just had to suck it up and admit his fault.

"It was that conversation, yes. But I distinctly remember saying that I would give you your say, and that's why you're here. I want you to have your say. The Isle is in bad shape, and I thought that you and Evie could help me understand it better so that in turn, we can make a difference for them."

Uma blinked her eyes, surprised that Ben kept by his word. Anyone who knew Ben knew that he was a man of his word. He followed his heart, and his heart was telling him that Uma and Evie were the key to helping the children on the Isle. He just didn't know where to begin.

"Ok then, your majesty" she replied with hesitancy in her voice. This had to be a trick. He was only going to use her then send her back to the Isle and her restaurant. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"I think it's best if we start with understanding you better. I want to know your story and what it was like for you. I only have snippets and brief accounts of what the Isle is like, but I learned there were two groups there: Mal's and yours."

Uma shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Evie shrunk back in her seat. Ben had no idea what can of worms he was going to open with this. The Isle wasn't exactly a nice place to live or even stay for a weekend getaway.

"Look, if this is uncomfortable for you..."

"No" Uma interrupted, waving her hand in front of her. "Just be warned that you aren't going to like what you hear."

"I'm all ears."

Uma drained the rest of her coffee cup before setting the empty cup on the table next to her chair. She got up out of her seat and started to pace around the room, occasionally picking up an item and examining it before setting it back down in its original place.

"Well of course, I was born on the Isle near the docks. The docks were always home to me considering my mother ran a seafood restaurant there. It was mostly your run-of-the-mill fish and chips shop, but we had other things too such as fried clams and rot. But trust me, the rot was the only good thing about that place."

"You guys actually served rot? And people ate it?"

"Well, you really didn't give us much of a choice, your majesty" Uma sarcastically replied. "The only food we ever got was your leftovers you threw away when you were full. We did what we had to do. Most of the children on the Isle are starving."

Ben turned his face down, hoping to avoid the piercing gaze of the sea witch's daughter. The children there received leftovers, while he and Auradon just tossed food to the side when they got full. Once again, he had no excuse to offer up.

"I remember saying your mother didn't care about you?" he asked, hoping to steer the conversation away long enough to avoid the guilt he already felt.

"Well, you remembered correctly. My mother didn't give a damn about me. Only time she cared was when she needed someone to work the night shift, and you never said no to my mother."

"So, you worked there all your life?"

"I worked there for six years as a waitress. I lost a bet to my mother and was forced to work there. And every time I tried to resist, it only led to me getting whipped by her tentacles. Some of them were so hard that they left scars on my back. So, I sucked it up and accepted my fate. Wake up, go to school, serve tables, and go home."

Ben's eyes widened at what she revealed. He never thought that their parents would stoop to the level of beating their kids. Evie on the other hand, didn't look so surprised. Ursula had a reputation of being cruel and manipulative to anyone and everyone, just like her best friend Maleficent. She once whipped a patron for not paying the full price of his meal. Interestingly enough, he was never seen again after that incident.

"What was school like? I heard you guys had three of them on the Isle."

"HA! Like you can even call it school. I was taught how to be a pirate and all about the history of pirates. I'm sure your Adviser over there learned other things" she said, jerking her head to the side in the direction of Evie.

Ben turned his attention over to Evie, who took it as her cue to speak up.

"I was taught from the legendary foes of your parents. We sat there, day in and day out, listening to their evil schemes and what they did wrong. Our mission was to learn from their mistakes and learn how to be better villains if and when the barrier came down."

Ben was taking notes this entire time of their experiences. Their revelations were so eye-opening and heart breaking that he wondered if his father had any remorse or guilt for indirectly causing all of this. Sure, it was more stable and organized than your average prison, but everything about it was wrong and cruel. Children scrounged around for food to survive. Education was how to be a better villain. It was an "all for one" mentality on the Isle. No one looked out for anyone except yourself. He set his pen down and looked up from his notes, ready to ask one final question.

"How does Mal factor into all of this?"

Uma gave him a disgusted look at the mention of Mal. Evie looked down, suddenly fascinated by the strap on her heel.

"Mal and her mother were the rulers of the Isle. They were the most feared on the Isle and got away with anything and everything" Uma said, the spite in her voice not hidden. "Mal and I actually used to be best friends. We would pull pranks and mischief on everyone, but our personal favorites were Captain Hook and Cruella de Vil. It was all fun until one of her pranks went wrong. She slipped in the slime she poured down, leading to her falling off the docks. I laughed at her and tried to help her, but she ended up dumping a bucket of shrimp on my head. From there on out, we became lifelong enemies.

"From that day forward, we always tried to one-up each other or trash each other. She would spray paint her symbol over our turf, and the pirates would do the same on her turf. But the one act she did that ruined us was when she, Jay, and other VKs trashed my mother's restaurant. Thanks to your girlfriend, I got a massive whipping from her. Once she left, I took her spot as the rightful queen of the Isle. I became the most feared on the Isle.

"Of course, we have the trident incident, which you know all about. Then, we go back six months when we sword fought and when I spelled you. Then it went quiet after that."

Ben stared at her, trying to take in all the information she just revealed to him. It was true what Mal said. They were enemies because Uma laughed at her.

"But then...Evie...what about you?"

"Me? Your girlfriend's mother banished me to a castle for ten years because my mother didn't invite her to my sixth birthday party. Maleficent and the Evil Queen had a huge rivalry on who would be the ruler of the Isle, and Maleficent won that battle. I lived in that castle for ten years. The only way we got anything was using pet vultures. I was sixteen when I was finally able to leave the castle, and since then, it led to pranks from her and almost falling into a cursed sleep from her mother's scepter."

"That's how she got the scepter back? I thought there was no magic on the Isle" Ben pointed out.

"Carlos managed to build a device that was an attempt to get more TV channels on the Isle, but he broke a hole through the barrier that was sustained long enough to allow magic back into the Isle. That's why her pet raven was brought back to life and why the scepter was back in her possession when she broke out."

"How did you guys manage to get it in the first place?"

"Your girlfriend recruited us to go and steal it from the Isle of the Doomed. We went through many obstacles before Mal changed her mind and managed to get it back to Maleficent after she touched it. After that, we became friends since our parents all considered us disappointments. No matter what we did, we were all disappointments."

Ben got up from his desk and turned to look out the window. Uma and Evie had just dumped his entire girlfriend's past misdeeds onto his desk: signed, sealed, and delivered. He rubbed his temples, trying to massage the tension and stress building up in his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Children being forced to attempt deadly missions for their parents, and yet still being called disappointments. School was nothing more than evil classes. Food was the leftover, rotten things they tossed out once they were done or expired. The Isle was a place of survival, and by the looks of it, people were barely struggling to maintain their survival.

"I'm...so sorry for all of this. I didn't think any of this would happen when my father made this plan."

"Oh, the plan to turn the Isle into a twenty-year prison for all of us? Yeah, I'm sure that wasn't his intention at all" Uma shot back.

"I know I cannot go back and erase the past, but I want to make a better future for them. No one should be living off expired and rotten food."

"Then what do you suggest Ben?" Evie asked, pen poised above her notebook to write down his idea.

He let out a sigh, the gears in his head were turning. While he developed sympathy for them and the villains on the Isle, it still wasn't enough. He managed to get more pieces of the puzzle, but he was still missing some. Sure, he could talk to Carlos, Jay, or even some of the new VKs, but what he was lacking was empathy.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off over his head. It was worth a shot to try, but he figured he would be met with opposition from the two girls in front of him. But as king, he felt he needed to do it.

"Ben...you still there?" Evie asked, unsure of what was going on in his mind.

Ben turned around to face them, his face having the soft glow of his plan. He had to tell them now.

"I want to live on the Isle of the Lost."


	15. Chapter 15: The King's Plan (2)

**A/N**

 **To be quite honest, I laughed a lot at the reactions you guys had at what Ben said. It does seem crazy, but his plan seemed kind of natural in my opinion. Plus, it also comes from my desire to see what Ben would be like if he lived on the Isle. They never really stayed on the Isle for more than a few hours, so to see them in an extended time period and how they would interact was interesting to me.**

 **As always, never be afraid to leave a review and let me know what you think. I do read all of them.**

 **Check out the bottom for the next chapter's rough spoiler. I have a feeling you guys will absolutely love it!**

* * *

The notebook and the pen slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the floor. From behind her, Uma was howling with laughter at the thought of Ben living on the Isle.

"You...live on...the Isle" she managed to gasp out in the midst of her laughing fit. "Oh my god...that's...the greatest thing...I ever heard."

She wiped her eyes from the tears that were falling out. While she may find the idea hilarious, Evie thought it was nothing but a downright awful idea. However, Ben stood there with a small smile on his face, like the one he had when he first told his parents of his plan to bring the villain children over. While no one else may agree with him, he was proud of himself and the idea.

"Ben...you can't be serious" Evie finally said, snapping out of her disbelief. If you were to ask her, Ben was going completely insane. No sane person ever woke up one day and said they wanted to live on the Isle.

"I'm definitely serious. I want to know what it's like to be someone who lives on the Isle. As hard as it is to admit, the people on the Isle are my responsibility too. They've been ignored for too long, and it has to change."

What Ben was saying was making absolutely perfect sense. The Isle was a part of his kingdom, and for over twenty years, it was completely left alone and isolated. It's one thing to hear stories from the children, but to actually go there and be a part of it was something else. He was becoming one of his people, a philosophy he held close to his heart.

"Ben, that's crazy. You can't live on the Isle. You'll never make it out of there alive. Once someone figures out who you are, you'll be lucky enough to escape with most of your body parts intact."

"Evie, you're forgetting. I've already been to the Isle before. It'll be just like how it was before. You know...chill" he said, striking an awkward chill pose the group taught him when they arrived at the Isle. This only made Uma laugh harder.

"No Ben, YOU'RE forgetting. You stayed there a night and all you managed to do was get kidnapped and almost thrown to the sharks. We only taught you how to not look like a complete asshat that night, and yet somehow, you still managed to look like one. There's no way you'll manage to stay there more than that." Evie never spoke to him like this before, but she was trying hard to tell him this was the wrong way of approaching this situation.

His eyebrows furrowed up, trying to think of more aspects to his plan. If they had this idea all planned out, they might be more willing to accept it. It was true he was taught how not to look completely obvious during his brief visit to the Isle, but he still managed to look completely obvious. Now that he thought about it, none of them stayed on the Isle more than a night since coming to Auradon. They always managed to get in and out within a short time frame.

"So then...why don't you guys come with me?"

This statement made Uma completely forget her laughing fit. She shot him a look that dared him to drag her back to the Isle. She always wanted to live in Auradon, and she would fight tooth and nail before she was ever back on that place. Evie just looked at him like she knew this was how it was going to go. Ben was going to try and convince them to come along.

"Us? You want us to come with you on this little plan you have? Sorry, your majesty, but there's no way you're dragging me back to that disgusting rat hole."

"Uma, like Evie said before, there's safety in numbers. You guys know the Isle better than I do, so if I bring you guys with me, we can watch out for each other and hopefully not run into any trouble."

In a rare moment, Evie and Uma looked at each other, both conveying the same though to each other.

"Alright then, your majesty" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "How do we know this isn't another idea for you to just dump us back there?"

"I made this same promise to Evie last time. I told her that none of them would get trapped and stay there. I'm extending the same promise to you. I have the power to make sure that none of you will get stuck there. So...do you agree?" he asked, extending his arm out for Uma to shake on.

Uma stood there trying to digest what he said. Ben wouldn't dare leave Evie behind on the Isle, not when she was transformed into an Auradon girl. Plus, they managed to escape and get everyone back to Auradon in one piece. However, her skepticism was pulling her in the other way. Ben said that he would bring more children over after the original four, and yet it took him a year to get her over here.

"If your little 'adviser' over there goes, then I'll go" Uma said, pointing at Evie. Evie was now in the hot seat and had no idea what to say or do. If they go back to the Isle, it could mean potential disaster and problems, but if they stayed in Auradon, the chance for more children to come over and a chance for a better Isle would slip from their grasps. Evie couldn't let that happen...or could she?

"Evie...? Ben asked with a plea in his voice. He was being completely serious about this.

She looked back down at her shoes. Sure, she went back to the Isle twice since coming to Auradon, but it was completely different. Their parents had no idea they were back since it was always under the cover of nightfall. With them staying there longer, their parents were bound to see them in broad daylight. You couldn't really hide well on the Isle; everyone knew who everyone was and what everyone was up to.

However, if they went with more than just the three of them, it could be more beneficial, especially if Mal and Harry came with them. They, along with Uma, were probably the most feared people on the Isle with Maleficent being a lizard now. However, Mal's magic was severely hampered on the Isle, leaving only swords and Harry's hook as their primary means to defend themselves.

"If we go" she said slowly, lifting up her head to face the other two. "We need more than just the two of us."

"Who else then do you think we should bring?"

Evie now began to pace back and forth in front of the counter. There were eight villain kids in Auradon, but not all of them could go back to the Isle. It would be too obvious.

"If we're staying there more than just a single night, we'll need protection. You'll have to bring Mal, Harry, and Jay with us."

Uma scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Of course, you would bring all of your friends with us. Why not just bring every villain over to the Isle since you clearly want to bring everyone that despises me."

Now it was Evie's turn to roll her eyes. She wasn't trying to bring all of her friends to the Isle, but she could see how Uma took it this way. Uma wanted equal leverage in this, and only bringing one of her crew members wouldn't give her that. She wasn't going to easily strike up conversation with the others.

"We can't bring everyone over. Dizzy is far too young and can't protect herself. We'll be spending most of our time trying to defend ourselves and her. Carlos is already terrified of the Isle. If you bring him and he gets another anxiety attack, we'll have a huge problem on our hands. Sorry to say this, but you can't bring Gil because he's incredibly slow at quick thinking and putting two and two together. If we get into a bind, we need to be able to get out quickly, and Gil would cost us precious time."

Ben meanwhile sat at his desk with a pen in his hand, taking down notes of everything Evie said. In total, six people were going, including him. The odds were now stacked in their favor. With Harry, Mal, Jay, and Uma with them, they were more likely to be avoided and not be approached by someone else.

"Fine then" Uma conceded. "We'll have to ask them about it because they aren't automatically going to go with us, particularly Mal."

"We'll ask them over the next week before we go. But, we need to have a buddy system in place on the Isle. It won't be wise to scamper off by ourselves there" Ben said.

"So then how about this?" Evie replied. "You and Mal can be a team. Jay and Uma can team up, and I'll be with Harry."

"Woah! Wait a minute. Why does it have to be you and Harry and me and Jay? Seems more natural to have it the other way around" Uma pointed out.

"Because out of the six of us, you, Mal, and Harry are the most feared on the Isle. You can't pair up Jay and me because then we have a chance of being talked to, but if it's Jay and you and Harry and I, we have a better shot of being left alone. Second, it gives us all someone who can work a sword incredibly well."

Uma opened her mouth to retort, but Ben was quick to cut her off. He didn't need the two advisers coming to blows in his office.

"It's perfect. We need all the help we can get in order to be avoided. We'll be in a group setting most of the time anyway, so it doesn't matter who's with who."

"Alright then, smart guy. You got that part figured out. Now, what do you suggest we use as a place to sleep in?"

Ben turned his attention over to Evie. "What if we use one of your parent's places?"

"We can't. Unlike Maleficent, all of our parents are still in human form. Jafar, Cruella, and my mother would all still be in their homes."

Ben let out a sigh again and placed his head in his hands, finding this more frustrating than needed. Were they going to find something to criticize and complain about?

"What if we use your ship Uma?" he asked, lifting his head up. "It's by the docks on the outskirts of the Isle."

"Too obvious" Evie interrupted, making Uma give her a scowl. "You have the supplies from Auradon coming in, and the goblins are horrible gossips. We'll be sure to be spotted coming and going from that place."

"We're already going to be spotted anyway since it's common knowledge we left the Isle. Might as well use it" Uma said.

"We still can't use it. It leaves us as an open target for potential attacks. Your place isn't exactly well guarded or fortified. Second, your pirate gang would be wandering around there too, and I'm willing to bet they're mad at you for leaving them."

Uma tried to retort, but the look on Evie's face told her it was true. Anyone could wander and walk up to the _Lost Revenge._ There wasn't really much there that could alert them of potential intruders. And her pirate gang was mad at her for leaving them. Uma went the selfish route and looked out for herself and not her pirate gang, leaving them behind.

"Why not use Bargain Castle then? It's close enough to the center of town; we'll be using the top floor of the place anyway. Plus, we're able to hear people down below us and anyone attempting to creak up the stairs. It works in our advantage" Ben said, his logic and intelligence coming out.

"HA! Good luck getting Mal to agree to that one. Last time I heard about that place, it had a nice drawing of my face with a giant red X through it" Uma said.

"She'll have to. Right now, it's the only safe place we have on the Isle. Her room was the only place that wasn't ransacked after Maleficent was turned into a lizard. They're still afraid of her."

"It'll work" Ben said, the tone of his voice suggesting that this was final. "We'll leave Friday night after the tourney match and we'll come back Sunday night. We'll have Carlos and Gil drive us in the limo, drop us off, and drive it back. It'll be too suspicious if the limo is spotted there."

Uma and Evie looked at each other again, before turning back to Ben. Ben was serious about this, and there was no use fighting it. Both of them nodded their heads, conceding to the plan. The only hope they had was that they would get in, live there, and get out without any serious problems. But deep down inside, Evie felt something was brewing up on the Isle, and it wasn't the muddy coffee.

* * *

"Don't be afraid to tie it tighter dear" the former queen said from her place on the foot box.

"How tight do you need it to be, your majesty?" Evie asked before taking both pieces of the golden ribbon into her hands.

"Make it tight enough to fit me, but give me some breathing room in it. And how many times have I told you? You can call me Belle. I think we know each other well enough to be on a first name basis" Belle said, looking at her reflection in the mirror standing in front of her.

Belle and Evie had become very close since last year's family day celebration. While the others played croquet, she and Belle stood off to the side, discussing the latest Auradon beauty trends and favorite makeup hacks. Since that time, they often met together for afternoon tea, scones, and chat. Mal occasionally came along to seek her advice on how to rule as the potential future queen.

Because Belle loves to throw girls' days with the other royals in Auradon, Evie and Mal got to meet some of them, including Ariel, Cinderella, the Sultana, and Mulan. It also helped her fashion business when Ariel was spotted wearing a one-of-a-kind couture dress made by Evie. Since that moment and the Royal Cotillion, members of all royal families, from Atlantica to Tangleton, were being dressed by Evie for special events. If she had to guess, Evie probably had enough money to buy a castle twice over.

"Guess old habits die hard, don't they?" Evie asked.

"Afraid they do. My husband is the excellent example of that."

Evie gave her a small laugh, before pulling the two ribbons ends into a bow in the back. Belle was attending an event in Neverland and wanted to have a custom couture dress from the hottest designer in all of Auradon.

"Something wrong dear? You don't seem like your usual self" she mentioned in her soothing, motherly voice.

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

It wasn't a complete lie. She did have a lot to digest from her previous meeting with Ben and how they were going to approach the Isle in the next few days.

"Is it the situation with Mal?" Belle asked, now turning to face Evie.

She shook her head. "No, I've already decided to let whatever happens happen. I'm not going to force anything between us. If the universe decides to bring us together again, I won't fight it."

She decided after her meeting with Ben to just let the Mal situation slip from her control. She had a feeling that the Mal situation would resolve itself naturally, but she didn't know when that situation would be. So, she just decided to focus on other things that were more immediate.

Belle stepped off the foot box and took Evie's hand, guiding them over to her bed and sitting down.

"Then what is it dear?" she asked, using her other hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

"For starters, your son wants to go back to the Isle."

Evie could've sworn that Belle's breath would've hitched in her throat or that she would've stiffened at the news, but she seemed completely relaxed and unaffected, as if she already knew the news.

"I figured he would. Ever since he had those visions of Mal, he's been fascinated with the Isle."

"You're not surprised?"

Belle sighed and looked down at their hands.

"I knew there would come a day when he would want to go to the Isle. We only taught him the basics of how to be a king. We didn't teach him to follow exactly in his father's footsteps. My husband already made his mark in Auradon, and Ben wants to make his own mark here in Auradon. We always told him to follow his heart, and if his heart is leading him in this direction, then he needs to go."

Evie tried to slowly digest what she said. While she didn't agree with Ben going back to the Isle, she now had a better understanding of why he was fascinated by it. While Ben looked like his father, he had the compassion of his mother. Ben wanted to undo the harsh damages his father did to the people on the Isle, and Belle understood this completely. Since seeing the other villain children in Auradon, she knew that there was hope for the people on the Isle.

"Just promise me that you won't let him go alone, ok?"

Evie gave her a small laugh, knowing how naïve her son was when it came to others. Not everyone in the world could be trusted, and Evie had firsthand experience about that.

"Don't worry. We have a few more going over with him. Our plan is only to be there a weekend."

A short period of silence fell over them as both didn't know how to approach this next phase.

"So what else is on your mind dear? If I had to take a mother's intuition guess, it's about a boy."

Evie froze. Belle had seen right through her. Ever since their make up and their multiple text conversations, Evie was finding herself falling hard for Harry yet again. She didn't know if this whole "friend" situation was going to work out much longer. It was only a matter of time before she made her feelings known and risk being humiliated in front of the pirate.

"So, I take it by your frozen state that I was correct?"

Evie slowly nodded her head. "It's mostly about Harry, Captain's Hook son."

"Ah yes. Mal had told me the history between you two during one of our chats. Reminded me a lot of me and my husband's story."

Evie looked at her quizzically. "How so?"

"He was intimidating to others, much like how Harry is. To be completely honest, he still is intimidating to others. But, when he opened his heart to me and let his tough exterior slowly crumble, I fell in love with him. I'm guessing you fell in love with Harry when he opened up his heart to you."

Evie couldn't help but be amazed at how Belle could see right through her. It was after one conversation at the Slop Shop that Evie found herself falling in love with Harry. She'd never seen him express himself like that before, all the goals and ambition he had for his life. Evie couldn't help but fall down that rabbit hole and all the triumphs and heartaches it brought her.

"I take it that you're still in love with him dear?"

"I never stopped loving him."

"Then what's the problem dear? It seems like you have every reason to get your happily ever after" Belle said.

"I guess the problem is with the others" Evie sighed. "Our two groups hated each other, and dating between us was strained. I'm just afraid that our groups will isolate us and cast us off to the side."

"Listen, Evie. If your friends are your friends, they'll accept him. From what I've heard from some of the others is that he treats you like an absolute princess. I know the struggles that you have been through with Chad and some of the others, but if you can find that one person who makes you feel on top of the world, nothing anyone says or does matters. If your friends cast you off to the side, then they're not really your friends, are they?"

Belle was amazing at telling people what they needed to hear at just the right time. Harry always treated Evie like the princess she was. He defended her, protected her, and stood up for her. He never treated her like she was an inferior, but treated her like his equal. But because of her fear of the group, she only said they could be friends. While Uma and Gil may not care, the others probably would. But she couldn't let fear rule her life; it was time to take that next step and rekindle what they had.

"I gave you a lot to think about, didn't I" Belle said, breaking into Evie's train of thought.

"Yeah, you did. But you made it perfectly clear about what I need to do."

Belle gave her a hug before standing up and began the process of removing the intricate dress.

"As long as he treats you right, go for it. If he doesn't, I'll have my husband go full beast mode on him."

Evie let out a giggle before slipping the dress onto a hanger and placing it on her "royals" rack, ready to begin the final alterations.

"I don't think that will be necessary with him."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Chapter 16 Rough Spoiler**

 _Evie pulled her sweater a little tighter around her body due to the light breeze that was now flowing around them. Harry wasn't kidding when he said it might be cold tonight. Harry picked up on her subtle body movement, and took off his jacket and draped in over her shoulders. Evie turned her head at the gesture, only to be met with Harry's smile._

 _She looked up to see the end of the bridge, and the sight made her jaw drop and her hand cover her mouth. She stopped dead in her tracks, trying to take in the entire scene._

 _"Oh my god…Harry…" she gasped out._


	16. Chapter 16: The Pirate and the Princess

**A/N**

 **The next chapter is finally here! I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think! (particularly the end) I had fun writing this one.**

 **For all the new followers and favorites, welcome to my story! I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

The weekend was drawing to a close. Students were scrambling around, trying to finish the homework assignments they procrastinated on, while others were eating dinner. The sun outside cast an orange tint on the horizon, indicating the setting sun. Jay, Carlos, Lonnie, Jane, and Doug were sitting in the cafeteria, enjoying hot soups and the "Sunday special" or as it was normally called: anything you wanted. Three of the regular attendees were missing. Two of them were off enjoying their own private time, while the other one was in her dorm room.

Evie was sitting at her vanity table, applying the last bit of mascara to her eyelashes. She blinked multiple times, assessing how well she did it, but it wasn't necessary. Evie could apply mascara to her eyes before she was able to do anything else if you were to ask her mother. She carefully twisted the tube closed and pulled out her poison red apple lip stain, carefully coating her lips in her second favorite shade.

Earlier this morning, she received a message from Harry that tonight would be the night of celebrating his making of the tourney team. And while Harry saw this as a friendly get-together celebration, Evie took it as her chance to have one of the most important talks they would ever have. The entire course of their relationship was resting on this one night and how she approached this situation. However, she had no idea what the situation would bring since she had no idea what Harry was planning. All she was told in that message was that she needed to dress nice and be ready by seven. They certainly didn't need Fairy Godmother catching them out after curfew hours…again.

A little before seven, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she shouted from her spot on the bed, slipping the strap of her heel around her ankle.

The door opened up, and Harry sauntered in, wearing his usual pirate gear. But something was different about Harry this evening. His hair wasn't as wild as before, and his guyliner was much more even and neat. What really caught her attention was how his clothes seemed freshly washed and cleaned. On the Isle, freshly washed clothes only came around once every few weeks, so Evie knew that Harry was trying to be more neater and cleaner for this occasion, a sign Evie took as a positive one.

"Ready tae go, princess? he asked from his spot by the door.

"Almost" she said, quickly standing up and making her way to her desk to grab her clutch. Her room was much more organized now that she managed to get all the shoes and discarded fabric pieces off the floor.

"I suggest ye bring a jacket. It might be cold taenight."

She made her way to her closet and grabbed her favorite blue cashmere sweater she got in the Auradon Central market earlier this year. It caught her eye, and she just had to have it, though she rarely wore it. Mal considered it a waste of money and her time since she was dragged along into the store against her will, but Evie knew there would come one day when she would use it, and today just happened to be that day.

"Ok, now I'm ready" she said, making her way out of the dorm and shutting the door, the lock clicking into place.

They proceeded down the corridor, where a few students were making their way back to their dorms. One or two of them gave a sideways glance towards the two, but most didn't seem to care. To them, both were villain kids and figured that all the villain kids traveled together, but that wasn't completely true. There was still a lot that Auradon didn't know about the Isle.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going tonight or are you going to be mysterious the entire way there?" Evie asked as they made their way down the staircase.

"Geez princess. Ye need tae know what tae just be surprised. Ye'll find out soon enough."

Evie gave him a little pout, making Harry smile at her antics.

"Put that pout away. Yer still not getting it out of me. I will say it's a walk though."

That made Evie instantly regret her choice of footwear. However, she wouldn't be caught dead wearing flats of any kind. Even if her feet were blistering by the end of tonight, she would still find any reason necessary to not wear flats.

They made their way out of the castle, passing by Dizzy and Evan coming in to the entrance hall. Dizzy looked at Evie with a wide grin on her face. She was one of the few people who knew about Evie's crush on Harry since they were spotted together almost every week at Curl Up and Dye. They turned the corner around the castle, and Evie knew exactly where they were going. It was towards the gazebo and lake that Ben took Mal for a picnic before they blew up at each other and caused Mal to return to the Isle.

"So, how exactly did you know the directions to this place? I was under the impression you had no idea where anything was."

Harry turned to face her, a cheeky grin on his handsome face.

"Let's just say that yer king beastie might've helped me."

This was news to Evie considering Ben and Harry hardly spoke two words to each other since Harry's arrival. The only true conversation they ever had was back on the Isle, and it wasn't exactly friendly conversation either. Ben didn't even make the custom, usual rounds to the transfers to find out how they were doing. He did with Mal and the others, but that was mostly due to his emerging love for her. He could make up any excuse to see Mal back then. But Harry managed to put his pride and arrogance away when he asked Ben for help. Evie said she wanted to be impressed, and Harry wanted to make sure she was.

They made their way through a frame made out of tree branches before stepping onto the bridge. The entire scene was a fairy tale setting: The lush trees that surrounded the lake that was as smooth as glass. The lone gazebo stood there proud and tall in the middle of the lake. It was exactly what Evie always pictured Auradon to be like when she was a little girl.

Evie pulled her sweater a little tighter around her body due to the light breeze that was now flowing around them. Harry wasn't kidding when he said it might be cold tonight. Harry picked up on her subtle body movement, and took off his jacket and draped in over her shoulders. Evie turned her head at the gesture, only to be met with Harry's smile.

She looked up to see the end of the bridge, and the sight made her jaw drop and her hand cover her mouth. She stopped dead in her tracks, trying to take in the entire scene.

"Oh my god…Harry…" she gasped out.

The gazebo had a table for two set up in the middle of it, a bouquet of red roses standing tall in the center. A white, silk tablecloth was draped delicately over the table, and the chairs were covered in a red silk fabric tied to the chair with a blue ribbon with a bow on the back. Off to one side was a chef's cart with two covered plates resting on it, keeping warm until the time to eat was upon them. But what really surprised her was the twinkling lights that were strung around the gazebo. The lights gave off a soft, cool glow, giving the gazebo a sense of comfort and warmth.

"Did…did you do all of this?" she asked, still not lost of the shock and wonder at the sight in front of her.

Harry gave her a shy, but happy smile; it was one that showed he was proud of his efforts but nervous at how she would respond.

"Like I said, yer king beastie did help me, but I do have ma' resources" he said, tapping his temple with his index finger. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided them towards the table.

While Ben helped with the food and location, the lights and everything else were found in a party supply closet that was completely unguarded. Auradon relied on people being good and not stealing, so it made it easy for Harry to slip into the closet and grab the supplies. Of course, people saw him with the armful of supplies, but no one seemed to question him on it. Perhaps they didn't care that much or they didn't realize how little security they had in this place. It wouldn't surprise him if he was given a detention tomorrow.

"Well…?" he asked, his face turning serious.

"I did say I liked to be impressed, and I think you far exceeded that expectation" she said, reaching down and giving his hand a squeeze. He smiled back to her and led her over to her chair. He pulled out her chair, and she tucked her dress and sat down, placing her clutch on the table. Harry went over the cart and grabbed the two food plates. He set them down in front of their seats and with a dramatic flourish (making Evie giggle), he pulled over the cover, making her gasp again.

"Again? Is there anything else that I should know about?" she asked.

Through a nice intimidation of Carlos, Harry found out what Evie's favorite food was here in Auradon: filet, side salad, and steamed potatoes. Unbeknownst to her, he had apple pie slices and whipped cream hidden under the sheet on the chef's cart for later.

"Hope it's better than that damn creperie or shite shop on the Isle" Harry said, taking his seat across from her after putting the covers back on the chef's cart.

"Don't worry about it. Anything is better than those places."

She lifted up her goblet of apple cider, and he did the same.

"To tourney" she said, and they clinked glasses and drank.

Harry gave her an amused laugh, and Evie started digging into her potatoes. Harry stabbed at his salad with his fork. It was a shock for some to see him use utensils since most of his diet was finger foods, but ever since Evie taught him how to use them, he became a natural at them.

"So" she started after swallowing her potato bite. "What happened after we left the Isle?"

"Eh, not much. Same auld, same auld. Slop and rot, rot and slop."

"I guess not a whole lot changed did it?"

Harry shook his head. "Not really…well…unless ye count that Tremaine douche being a douche."

"Why? What did Anthony do this time?" Evie asked, taking a bite of her salad. Anthony and Evie were considered the best two dressed on the Isle. Everything fit them perfectly and everything was the right color.

"Eh, after that sword fight, the twerp kept calling me the 'failure of the Isle'. He liked tae be a douche about it and told everyone how we lost."

Harry picked up his knife and sliced into his filet, popping the piece into his mouth.

"Enough about me. What about ye? What happened in Auradon with ye?"

"Well" she said, setting the fork down and wiping her mouth with her napkin. "We had Uma crash our Cotillion, but after that it went quiet. The only interesting thing that happened was figuring out who to bring to Auradon." She picked up her goblet of apple cider and took a drink from it.

"Ah yes. Thank ye for ma' invite" he said, giving her a flirtatious wink before popping another piece of filet in his mouth.

She gave him a small laugh before going back into her salad.

"Believe it or not, your name didn't cross my mind to bring over."

"It didn't?" he asked, slightly hurt and angered. She truly did forget her promise to him.

"Funny enough, it was Ben who tossed your name into the ring."

"Beastie king wanted me tae come?"

Evie nodded her head. "He did actually. He said you impressed him a lot with your loyalty to Uma and how well you sword fight. He thought you would make an excellent addition to R.O.A.R." she said, slicing into her filet. "Ben wanted to make sure that the next villain kids that came to Auradon needed it the most, and he felt that you needed it the most, along with Gil and Uma. You impressing him was just the icing on top of the cake" she finished.

Both of them quietly tucked into their meals, enjoying the comfortable silence that fell over them. They weren't one of those people that had to have full-on conversation every time they met. Some of the time, they would just sit on the couch in Evie's room curled up into one another, with Harry playing with her hair and Evie playing with his fingers. It was just nice to be around each other and soak in the presence of the other.

"How's your family doing?" she asked, taking the last potato into her mouth.

Harry wiped his mouth with his napkin before reaching out to take a sip from his goblet.

"They're good. Harriett still misses ye, and CJ still despises ye."

Harriet and Evie were on conversation terms with each other. While they were vastly different, they managed to be pleasant with each other long enough to ask for the time of day. CJ, on the other hand, hated Evie; the hatred stemmed mostly from the fact that Evie didn't join up with CJ for mischief and mayhem. If you weren't allies, you were enemies. Plus, Evie associated herself with Mal, and anyone who was an enemy of the pirates was an enemy of hers.

"And your dad?" she asked cautiously, knowing how strained their relationship was.

"Didn't speak much tae him and he didn't speak much about ye. Still the same auld grouch. He did take Tremaine's nickname for me and started saying it tae ma' face."

Evie understood what Harry meant. Captain Hook was hard on Harry, mostly because he didn't have his own crew that he was captain of unlike Harriett. He figured Harry would never have his grand adventure and explore the seven seas. Plus, there was also the fact that Captain Hook didn't approve of their relationship. He wanted Harry to date a girl who was more "rough around the edges" and wasn't afraid to get dirty and take risks. At that point, Evie wasn't willing to take risks, even though she did try to change for him. But Captain Hook was stubborn, and he refused to budge on his view of her.

"I'm sorry about you and your dad."

He waved his hand in front of her, dismissing her thought. A lot of people gave him pity, but he just accepted that that's how it was always going to be. Like most of the villain children, their parents would never be proud of them, and they just had to accept that fact.

"Don't worry about it. He don't matter much anymore since I'm over here and he's there."

Harry got up and removed their plates before removing the pie slices from the car and setting them down along with the bowl of whipped cream. Evie couldn't help but shake her head and grin, making Harry smile as well.

"What else are you hiding in that cart?" she teased.

"Nothing else. I wanted tae make sure ye were impressed but not go overboard."

She picked up the whipped cream spoon and placed a dollop on her pie. Harry took the spoon from her and loaded the top of his pie with the whipped cream, making Evie laugh.

"You know, you don't need that much on the pie."

"I know" he said, giving her another wink. "But as I always say, a life without risk is a life ain't worth livin'."

She rolled her eyes and sliced her fork into the pie and ate it, making her moan unconsciously and making Harry look at her with wide eyes. Mrs. Potts always made delicious food, and she wondered if she made this meal at Ben's request. Once the pies were eaten and the plates clean, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and turned serious.

"Harry" she said. "Did you…um…ever see my mother around?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, crossed his arms, and turned his gaze down, trying hard to remember.

"There was one time I did. She was by the docks getting the first supplies. Other than that, I didn't see her much."

Evie looked slightly disappointed, but she knew that Harry and her mother wouldn't cross paths that often. Even though her mother was horrible towards her, Evie had a small part inside of her that still cared for her and her well-being. However, Evie wouldn't be the first person to sign up for a family reunion. All she would hear was how she failed her mother as a daughter and would be locked away in a tower like Rapunzel for the rest of her life.

The air around them was getting chillier, and both knew that the curfew hour was drawing nearer. The stars were out in full force now, brightening up the dark sky. Harry pulled out her chair and offered his hand to her. She accepted it, but her face turned into a frown at the sight in front of them

"Wait, what about this?" she asked, moving her hand around to gesture the gazebo. While it was a sweet gesture, they still had a mess to clean up, and Evie felt guilty about letting someone else clean up after them.

"Don't worry about it. Beastie boy said he'll take care of it. He'd do anything for ye."

He pulled a rose out from the bouquet and presented it to her with a playful bow. She happily accepted the rose with a laugh, placing it underneath her nose to breathe in the sweet and lovely fragrance. She grabbed her clutch and slipped her other hand into Harry's, linking their fingers together. They proceeded towards the bridge back to Auradon; the twinkling lights were fading behind them, and soon it would be nothing but street lamps that would guide them back home.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask. When's your first tourney match?"

"I think the coach guy said it was Friday. Why…are ye coming tae support yer favorite pirate?" he playfully said, wiggling his eyebrows up

"I may find the time" she said, giving his hand another squeeze with a wink to match it.

The landscape soon turned into Auradon Prep; their hands swinging between them. Both could feel the butterflies in their stomachs, and they knew this whole "friend" thing was not going to last long. Hopefully the group dynamics would play in their favor quickly, especially since most of them are going to be living together in cramped quarters. They didn't need a repeat of last time.

Harry opened the castle door, letting her slip in, before they made their way up the stairs.

"Why don't you stop by my dorm tomorrow night around eight and we'll go over the stuff for the History of Auradon exam?"

Harry gave her a frown and a pout this time. "Do we have tae?"

"Afraid we do. It's part of school after all."

They made their way to Evie's dorm, and she unlocked the door before they both stepped inside the archway. She shrugged off Harry's jacket and gave it back to him. She placed the rose and her clutch on the table beside the door, before twisting her ruby apple ring around her finger. This was the conversation they had to have; the one that would determine the course of their relationship.

"Listen Harry. I know we agreed to be friends, but I just…" her voice was cut off by soft, warm lips being pressed to hers and hands sneaking down to her hips. It shocked her for a moment, but she snaked her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She wouldn't admit it, but it definitely felt much better kissing Harry than Doug. Harry had that spark about him that not even Doug could replicate.

They pulled away, their need of oxygen outweighing their feelings for each other. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and bit down on her lip.

"I guess it's a yes then?" she asked hopefully.

Harry just looked at her, his face turning soft. "It's always been a yes princess. There's no one else I want but ye."

She smiled at him, and he returned her smile with one of his own.

"Good, because I lost you once. I'm not losing you again."

Harry used his finger to push her chin up, before pressing his lips back to hers and kicking the door shut with the heel of his boot.


	17. Chapter 17: Pirate, Princess, and King

**A/N**

 **I have to say I loved your reviews from last chapter. I'm so glad you guys like the story that much. Most of this story has already been planned out and written in rough parts, so the majority of the time I spend is in editing. I had started this idea back in late August, early September after viewing the two movies. I hadn't read the books until after I saw _Descendants 2,_ so once I read them, I got a little idea on writing the story. I was skeptical about releasing it in the first place because I haven't done much creative or story writing in my life, but your kindness and support have made me keep going, so thank you all!**

 **When I was editing this chapter, I got pulled in a different direction, so I spent time editing it in that direction. I hope you all enjoy it, and let me know what you guys think!**

* * *

"And finally, who can tell me the only chemical elements that form stable, homonuclear diatomic molecules at standard temperature and pressure?" Mr. Deley managed to get out before a soft hand with blue and red crackle nail polish shot up, causing him to chuckle.

"Yes, Evie…again?"

"Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, and Chlorine" she answered confidently. Through hours and hours of studying, she became a chemistry genius, and her knowledge on the subject often left Doug and Mr. Deley in amazement. Who would've known that a girl who had little knowledge on chemistry could do a complete 180 degree turn-around.

"Correct…again" he said before the bell rung. "I'll see you all tomorrow then. Remember to do the assigned reading and answering the end of section questions for tomorrow."

Students began to file out of the classroom, glad that the long Monday was finally over. Evie packed up her books and stuffed them into her sapphire blue bag (complete with the broken crown obviously) before giving Mr. Deley a goodbye and exiting the chemistry classroom. She let out a huge yawn and a tired expression graced her face to match it. She didn't get much sleep last night, and it wasn't because of insomnia or bad dreams this time.

She spent a good portion of her night with the giddy excitement still lingering from her celebration with Harry. Of course, her night consisted mostly of her and Harry's bodies moving together as one. They had been intimate together back on the Isle, but last night felt completely different and more risqué since Auradon is taboo with that particular subject. But she didn't care; all that mattered was that she had Harry and Harry had her. She would've stayed curled up with him the rest of the night, but because Gil was a minor inconvenience, she slept back in her dorm...or at least attempted to sleep. Her phone kept buzzing with messages from her pirate, causing her to oversleep and miss breakfast.

She walked out of the hallway and turned the corner to her locker, already noticing that Harry was there. She gave him a shy smile and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Every time she saw it, it felt like the first time back on the docks.

"Well, helloooo" he drawled out, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"Hello yourself" she said, opening up her locker and dumping the books inside that she didn't need and removing the ones she did need.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?" she asked, giving him a flirtatious look.

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd come tae see ye" he replied, giving her a wink and a sly grin to match it.

"I see your remedial goodness classes didn't cover stealing yet…" she muttered, making Harry chuckle in amusement.

"Naww, I'm afraid that's next week. Besides, what's yers in mine, right?"

"Mmm…don't think it works that way…yet" she said, tapping her finger on his nose for emphasis. She blushed once she realized what she implied with her statement.

She closed up her locker and slipped her hand into Harry's. It certainly wasn't the first time they held hands, but every time seemed like the first, and it always made Evie blushed and feel butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know what it was about Harry's touch that drove her to these feelings, but she never wanted it to stop.

"So, I do have something really important to tell you" she said as they passed underneath the giant Oak tree.

The tone of her voice made Harry look at her with concern. "What is it? Was that Charming douche getting tae ye"

She shook her head quickly. "No, it's not him, but it is something else."

She fell silent as she debated on how to tell Harry. It wasn't so much telling him, it was more about the reaction he would have. However, she decided that the best way possible was to be straightforward and blunt. She took a deep breath and let it out hastily.

"I'm going back to the Isle at the end of the week" she said.

Harry stopped so quickly that it caused Evie to be jerked backwards and lose her balance slightly. Harry quickly wrapped his arm around her waist to prevent her from falling.

"Yer what?" he asked, confusion and hurt playing in his voice. She couldn't be serious about this, not when she was more Auradonian than any of the VKs.

"Uma and I are going back to the Isle at the end of the week. It'll only be for..." she managed to get out before hell broke loose.

Harry's face contorted into an angered expression, and he began stomping off towards the castle with only one location on his mind: wherever the King was. Evie stood there, wondering what he was doing. It was normal for Harry's mood to switch in an instant, but his anger was always one that led to massive problems and pain. Her eyes widened, realizing what he was doing.

"WAIT, HARRY!" she yelled, running to keep up after him. It was much more difficult in heels and carrying a tote bag and a purse. Plus, Harry already had a good distance on her. If anything, her calves would be getting a fantastic workout after this impromptu jog.

She managed to catch a glimpse of two red coattails round the corner down the corridor when she entered the castle. However, in her current state, she wouldn't catch him in time. She saw Jane and Carlos heading in her direction, and a thought burst into her head.

"Hey guys!" she called out to them, garnering their attention.

"Hey, Evie. What's up?" Jane asked.

"No time to explain. Just take these back to my dorm for me please?" she asked, handing them the bag and purse. "Carlos has a spare key with him."

"Uh, sure no problem, but what's going..." Carlos trailed off at the sight. Evie had slipped her heels off and was running down the corridor, her hair and cape flying behind her.

"JUST DO IT PLEASE AND THANK YOU!" she shouted as she kept on running. Some students gave her a disgusted look at having to move out of the way, with Emir upset at being shoved to the side to move out of the way. One teacher yelled out to her to stop, but she ignored him and continued with her run.

The door to Ben's office burst open, and Ben looked up quickly at the sight in front of him. Harry's face was bordering on rage. He marched over to Ben and proceeded to yank him out of his chair, grabbing a fistful of his shirt in his hand and pulling his face close.

"What's this I hear about ye takin' Evie and Uma back tae the Isle?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. While his hook was tucked safely in his dorm, he still could physically fight anyone, and by the look on his face, he was about to.

"No...Harry...it's not" Ben gasped out, frightened by the murderous look on the pirate's face.

Evie finally managed to make it into Ben's office, albeit completely out of breath and with a stitch in her side. Perhaps she ought to be using the school's gym more often.

"Harry!" she cried, but it came out breathy. "Let him...go...and I'll...explain...everything" she huffed out.

"What's there tae explain? He wants tae send ye back tae the Isle, and I ain't going tae let him" he said, tightening his grip on Ben's shirt and pulling his face closer.

"No, Harry. He doesn't. Just let him go and I'll explain. Please, trust me" she pleaded. She didn't need to have her boyfriend murder the King. People in Auradon tend to frown upon that.

Harry contemplated this idea in his head, before thrusting Ben back into his chair, the force sending him rolling towards the windows. Evie stepped around the desk, took his hand, and guided him over to the chairs and sat down.

"Explain yerself then, beastie boy" Harry said, the disgust clearly not hidden.

Evie cleared her throat, gathering the attention of the two boys in the room.

"On Saturday, Ben told us that he wanted to go back to the Isle in order to find a better way to help them. In that plan, he asked us to go with him in order to help him navigate the Isle and not look completely out of place. I agreed to go because Uma said she'd go."

It took all of his will power to not burst out laughing at the plan, but he had a feeling that Uma already gave him that treatment. However, what struck a nerve with him was how Uma agreed to go back. He wouldn't believe that Uma of all people would voluntarily go back to the Isle, not when she spent over seventeen years trying to escape it.

"I don't believe ye. Uma never wants tae go back. So try again, beastie."

"It's true Harry" Evie said, her voice as gentle as possible as to avoid another outburst. "Ben appointed us as his Advisers, and as them, we need to go with him. However, you stormed off before I even had a chance to explain myself."

If there was one thing that Evie disliked about Harry, it was how quick he was to jump to rash decisions and not hear anyone out. He would hear one or two trigger words, and then he was off and doing something reckless. This wasn't the first time she had to run after him to stop him, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last.

"Then finish it, princess."

"I wanted to ask you to come with us" she said, her hand reaching out to touch his forearm.

Harry looked at her, blinking his eyes. He certainly did not expect this, nor did he think this day would come.

"Why do ye need me tae come? He asked, unsure of what Evie and Ben were trying to get at. Like Uma, he thought this was a giant trick to dump them back to where they came from.

"Because" Ben said, his voice and confidence coming back to him once he saw how settled down Harry became. "You guys know the Isle better than I do or any Auradon kid here. I think you would be beneficial to us, particularly because you can use a sword effectively. We could use you to navigate the docks for supplies or to fight off other pirates."

Silence fell over the room as Harry contemplated this idea. Going back to the Isle meant leaving Auradon, and he didn't want to leave his new found life here. Here, he had fresh food, friends, a warm bed, and most importantly, his princess.

"No. I'm not going back, and neither are Evie and Uma" he said dismissively.

"Uh...excuse me?" Evie asked, slowly getting to her feet. "You want to try that again?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "No, not really. You ain't going tae the Isle. End of conversation."

"Do you really want to start this again now...in front of the King?" she hissed. Ben had a sheepish look on his face, like he was invading a private moment. To say the situation was awkward was an understatement. He got up from his chair and slipped into his bedroom, giving the couple their space. The door clicked shut, and Evie turned her attention back to the pirate.

"So, do you want to explain why you just turned into my mother just then?" she gritted, annoyance creeping into her voice.

"Like I said before, not really. Ye ain't going back tae the Isle" he said, his temper starting to ignite.

"Well, it's a good thing it's my decision. What I decide to do is my decision, not yours to make for me" she said. While she did appreciate Harry's protectiveness over her, she often found it stifling.

"Yes, it's yer decision. It's a stupid one, but it's yer decision, just like last time" Harry said, his temper starting to make itself obvious.

"What's THAT suppose to mean?" she shot at him.

"It's just like before. Ye took yer king with ye, and he got captured and shite went down. Thought ye would've learned from the past."

"Ha! Last time I checked, I managed to recapture the king, defeat Uma and her crew, and make it back with all my limbs attach. I've done more things on that Isle that could've killed me and you don't even know about them. Second, I'm not the one who was called the failure of the Isle now am I?" she said, before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. The words slipped out of her mouth before she even realized what she said.

"That was a low blow" Harry muttered.

Out of all the things that she wished she could do over, this moment would probably be at the top of her list. Never would she have guessed that she would say something incredibly hurtful or that harsh to anyone, particularly Harry. Harry was only trying to protect her, but he needed to realize that she wasn't a porcelain doll that would break with the slightest touch.

She walked up to Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist, and his instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his chest.

"I'm sorry I said that. You're not a failure Harry, you know that right?" she asked, pulling herself away from his body but snaking her arms around his neck.

He gave her a small smile, accepting her apology and understanding what she was saying. It was just something else said in the heat of the moment. She returned his smile, and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I just don't understand why ye want tae go back."

"Because, we were given a second chance in life. Those kids deserve to have one too, and if this is how Ben wants to help them, then you're damn right I'm going to help him. This is important to me. I'm going with or without you, but I really want you to come with me."

Hearing that, he knew he couldn't stop her from going, not when her heart was this big. He knew that if it was something close to her heart, she was going to find a way to do and no one was going to stop her.

"When are ye going?" he asked, his voice turning soft.

"We're leaving Friday night after your tourney match and we're coming back Sunday night. Jay and Mal are also coming with us, hopefully..."

"But what if something happens tae ye? What do ye do then?"

"That's why I want you to come with me. You'll be the best man to protect us. Plus, Ben has full control over the guards here in Auradon, so if something were to happen to us, he can get guards over to the Isle quickly."

He believed her, but something wasn't adding up.

"How is he going tae get people over tae us if he can't get word back tae the guards?"

Evie opened her mouth to reply automatically, but she closed it at the point Harry made. There was no way to get any information over to Auradon from the Isle, except the Auradon propaganda channel on TV, but that was all pre-recorded crap. She released her grip on his neck and paced behind the chairs. For a plan that was fully planned out, Harry did a nice job of finding the giant crack in it. This was the one thing they had to plan out now, or else their plan was a no-go.

"Ben!" she called, and he immediately entered back into the office.

"I overheard, and he does make a good point. How are they going to know about us if we don't tell them?" he asked, shutting the door behind him. This was a top-secret royal plan, and only members of the royal family knew about it.

All three of them went into deep thought mode, trying to think of a way to figure out how they could be monitored from afar. With no WI-FI or magic on the Isle, they had no communication to Auradon, and sending a letter would take far too long. Plus, Evie wasn't sure the vultures would do her bidding now that she didn't live there. Finally, after a few minutes, her face lit up slightly. It was a risk and a far-fetched idea, but it seemed adequately possible.

"My magic mirror" she whispered.

"What?" Ben asked, not hearing what she said.

"My magic mirror. It's worth a shot. I can ask it to track us and leave it in Carlos' possession so he can monitor us. If something happens, he can go alert Fairy Godmother immediately."

"But doesn't the mirror only respond to you? What if you lose the connection or something?" Ben asked.

"Well..." she started. "We can try and convince Mal to use a spell on it so that it will monitor us for the amount of time we're on the Isle. I think it will also prevent it from turning off or losing the connection."

Ben sat down at his desk and clasped his hands in front of him. While he wasn't in favor of using magic on anything in Auradon, this could potentially mean the difference between life and death. His hands were tied behind his back, and he couldn't break his promise to make sure they wouldn't get stuck there again.

"I guess we'll try it" Ben conceded. "Now, have you decided if you're coming, Harry?" he asked, turning his attention to the pirate. Evie turned her head and faced him, a pleading look in her eyes. She wanted him to come, not just for protection, but for his comfort as well. Harry had no choice when he looked into those eyes. Those eyes always made him melt into her hands like chocolate on a summer day.

"If it means that much tae ye, I guess I'll go with ye" he said, a small smile on his face. Evie let out a small squeal and rushed over to him, pressing her lips against his. Ben stood by with a surprised look on his face, but one that knew their secret.

Evie's eyes widened, and she broke the kiss off quickly, turning to look at Ben with a guilty look on her face.

"Don't tell anyone?" she asked, her look showing Ben who she meant. She wanted to tell the others in her own words, not from one of her friends. It would lead to problems if they heard it from anyone else.

Ben only laughed. "You have my word" he said. "I take it the date last night went well?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Evie slipped her hand into Harry's, confirming what he said was true. "Yeah...it most definitely did" she said in whispered wonder, giving Harry a look full of love.

"Well, as much as I'd love tae stay and chat, I have tae go tae tourney" Harry said, leading them over to the door. Before the door fully closed, they heard Ben's voice ring out.

"YOU TAKE CARE OF HER!"


	18. Chapter 18: First Practice and Tutoring

**A/N**

 **Here's the next chapter for you guys. For all my U.S. readers, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving with you and whoever you decide to celebrate with. However, for everyone one of you around the world who have read this story and have supported it, I offer you my sincerest gratitude and thanks. I knew that the fanfiction community was one that was filled with love and support for everyone, but I had no idea how deep it went.**

 **As always, never be afraid to leave a review. I love reading each and every one of them. I think next chapter will be one that will please some of you.**

* * *

Jay flung the ball towards the goal, but he was unfruitful in his endeavor. Harry inwardly groaned in frustration; they'd been going at this for the past ten minutes, with neither side making a goal. The goalie for the yellow jersey team picked it up and tossed it to Chad. Chad was running towards the other side, making Harry and Jay scramble together to stop him. Chad was bolting straight towards Carlos, but Carlos managed to duck him and stick his foot out, a simple but effective play.

Chad stumbled and the ball escaped his grasp, allowing Harry the opportunity to scoop it up and run back to the other side. He was going to finish this now, but Aziz had other ideas. Harry managed to side-swipe him, before tossing the ball over to Jay. Jay did his signature spin-trick move on Tyrone before tossing the ball back over to Harry. Harry tossed the ball up on his stick and swung at the ball like he was playing tennis. The ball soared into the goal, the white netting absorbing the shock and the goalie falling to the ground in his failed attempt to block the ball.

Coach Jenkins blew his whistle, effectively calling the end of the play, and Harry could not be more relieved. The group slowly staggered off the field and over the bench, ready to hear their coach's words of motivation and what skills they needed to work on.

"Alright, nice job today everyone. Jay, Hook…I'm loving the teamwork out there. Keep it up and we'll be unbeatable."

Unbeknownst to the coach, Jay and Harry would hardly be called the picture of "teamwork." It was only on the tourney field that they managed to put aside their differences long enough for the sake of something better. For Jay, it was the euphoric rush of winning and beating all others; for Harry, it was for his girlfriend. However, he knew that the group and he were on a collision course, so it was better to be tolerant of the others before that crash came.

"Ok everyone, same time tomorrow" Coach Jenkins said, making the group scatter.

He was exhausted and tired. His body ached all over in places he didn't know an ache could be. Coach Jenkins worked them to the near brink of exhaustion today, citing the fact that the Imperial Academy was the hardest opponents they would face all year. Last year, the Imperial Academy managed to hand Auradon their only loss of the season, and Coach Jenkins was sure to not let that happen again.

"Hey Harry" someone called, making him turn his attention to the voice. Oddly enough, it was Carlos' voice.

"Nice job out there" he said. This took him by surprise, as Carlos never paid him more than two seconds of attention. Harry only nodded his head downward slightly, making Carlos do the same. Carlos slung his bag over his shoulder and caught up with Jay and headed to the locker room.

Harry chugged down his third bottle of water down eagerly, trying to quench his thirst. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and reached into his gym bag for a packet of post-workout facial cloths Evie swore by. It was a little trick she picked up from Belle after working hard or when you needed a refresher during the day. He used one of the cloths to wipe his face off before throwing it into the trash can besides the bench. Fortunately for him, his guyliner was now water-proof thanks to Evie. He didn't look like a raccoon anymore after tourney. He zipped up his bag, grabbed a fourth bottle of water, his helmet, and stick, and headed off towards the locker room.

"Hey man" Gil said, heading towards him from his place by the cheerleaders. Freddie was often spotted talking to Jane during and after cheerleading practice, and wherever Freddie went, Gil was somewhere tagging along behind her. Harry only nodded his head upwards, greeting and acknowledging Gil.

"What was all that about?" Gil asked, jerking his head towards the retreating figure of the white-haired boy.

"What was what about?"

"You and Carlos" Gil said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders up as best as he could. The gear and his bag offered him limited mobility. "Beats me. It's probably nothing anyway."

The cheerleaders were disbanding and heading off in their own directions, prompting Gil to say goodbye to Harry and jogging after Freddie. Harry continued his path towards the locker room when he bumped into someone with flowing brown hair, perfectly clear skin, and pink, pursed lips.

"Watch where yer goin'" he muttered before he realize who it was.

He let out an audible groan, making it clear how he felt about this person. Audrey for days had tried to corner off Harry after their sole class together, but he managed to elude her. Now, she finally got him alone, and this was the last thing he wanted after an exhausting tourney practice.

"Sorry Harry" she said sweetly, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger and batting her long eyelashes.

Harry shook his head and tried to proceed forward to the locker room for a refreshing shower, but was stopped again by Audrey's voice.

"Listen, I don't think we ever got off on the right foot. You probably already know, but I'm Audrey and my mother is…" she trailed off, being cut off by Harry.

"Sleeping beauty. Yeah, I get it."

Audrey looked stumped for a second before turning back on her charm.

"Oh well, now that that's out of the way. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight. You know, get to know each other?" she asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but I already got plans with someone else taenight" he said, trying to gently decline her offer. He hoped this would be enough to stop her, but as fate would have it, she kept going.

"Oh really? With who?" she asked with fake curiosity, but a tinge of jealously was in her voice. No one ever turned her down before.

Word around the female population was that Harry was still single. He may be a villain, but he was probably the best looking one in Auradon, and Audrey was becoming slightly obsessed with him. She would tell anyone who would listen that she and Harry would date in the future. Conversations between her and her friends in the bathroom often were about the pirate and their lives together.

"If ye must know, it's with Evie."

"I didn't know you and Evie knew each other. I figured since you guys didn't talk much on your first day here, you hated each other."

"Well, ye thought wrong. Now, if ye'll excuse me…" he attempted before getting interrupted again.

"Maybe next time then? I could use some help with our Pirate and Woodsmen homework."

"Fine. Next time" Harry annoyingly conceded. He hoped this would be enough to put Audrey at arm's length; fortunately for him, Audrey seemed satisfied with his answer. With a little wave and a flirtatious smile, she bid her goodbye and headed off. Harry proceeded back towards the locker room. He opened the door to the corridor and saw Evie standing outside of it. By the look on Harry's face, Evie knew someone had upset the pirate.

"Everything alright, Harry?" she asked in a gentle and soothing voice.

"I'll tell ye when I'm done in there" he said, jerking his head towards the locker room.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged out of the locker room, changed into his pirate attire and his hair still wet from the shower he had. He slung his bag over his shoulder and linked his hand with Evie's heading towards the outdoor courtyard.

"So, what happened out there? Did Jay and Carlos say something to you?"

Harry shook his head. "Carlos gave me a nice sentiment, but that's about it." This took Evie by surprise.

"Well, I'd take that as a good sign Harry. Carlos always had a natural distrust of people, so maybe he's warming up to you. He's really a nice guy once you get to know him."

Harry opened the door and both headed outside. The sun was still bright and vibrant, and Harry wanted nothing more than to be in the shade and air conditioning. "I doubt we'll be buddy-buddy."

"You don't have to be buddy-buddy, but you could at least be civil towards each other. Just try it…for me?" she said, giving him her signature puppy dog eyes. No matter what she did, Harry was always under her spell with her puppy dog eyes.

"Alright fine. Only because I love ye."

"Good, because I love you too" Evie said. This was probably only the third time Evie ever said it, and whenever she said it, Harry's body shifted into two moods; this time, his mood shifted into desire and lust.

He flung his bag off his shoulder and pushed Evie backwards into a nearby tree, smashing their lips together in a heated session. Evie slipped her purse off her shoulder and snaked her arms around his neck. She was quick to return his fervor kiss; a soft moan crept up her throat and out her lips, and Harry smirked in amusement. If they weren't careful, the courtyard would be getting a free show, and by the looks of it, it wasn't that long to go.

"Get a room!" someone shouted from a short distance away, making Harry and Evie pull away. Evie blushed in embarrassment, while Harry had a sly smile and look in his eye. He used his thumb and slowly wiped the small lipstick stain from his lip, making Evie's breath hitch in her throat and him smirk. No matter what he did, Evie always thought it was hot. He slung the bag over his shoulder and both headed inside the castle.

"You still never told me what happened out there" Evie said. After that intense session, Harry almost forgot his encounter with Audrey.

"Eh, it's just that damn Audrey being her annoying self."

"What did she say now?" Evie asked, annoyance hinting in her voice. Evie was becoming fed up with Aurora's daughter recently, whether it was for the demands for her family day outfit to her shamelessly flirting with her boyfriend. She held up the reputation of being a spoiled princess well enough. It's no wonder why Ben broke up with her.

"Tried tae ask me tae 'hang' with her taenight, but I had someone better tae be with" he said, slipping his arm around her waist.

"Good, because after seeing you in class today, you desperately need my help."

"Hey!" he said with mock offense, making Evie giggle.

"Oh, shut up. You're a lot smarter than you think you are."

Both of them entered the cafeteria and quickly grabbed the last few helpings left over from daily afternoon tea. They made their way over to a table by the corner, offering them privacy and intimacy.

"Did you bring everything with you?" Evie asked, pouring some sugar into her tea cup and stirring. She always hated the bitter taste of tea and coffee, but sugar was non-existent on the Isle since it made people "soft", or so the rumor was.

Harry sighed, opened his bag, and pulled out his History of Auradon textbook. Evie had to push their tutoring session up a few hours due to a scheduling conflict, but she promised that snacks would be a part of it, so it was a win-win for both of them.

Their exam for History of Auradon tomorrow was mostly review, but Harry didn't have a clue of what Auradon really was. Sure, he had the knowledge of the people who ruled the kingdoms as everyone, including the Isle people, knew who everyone was, even if you weren't a part of their history. At the persistence of Evie though, he managed to take notes during their review lessons and learn a thing or two, but the whole concept was still foreign to him.

"Ok" Evie said after finishing her apple jam scone. "First question…how many regions of Auradon are below the Great Wall?"

His brow furrowed in concentration, and he was half-tempted to open up his book for the answer, but the hopeful expression on Evie's face told him that he knew the answer.

"Eleven?" he said, the answer coming out in the form of a question. He picked up his tea cup and took a sip, hoping to hide his nerves.

"Mhm. So logically, that leaves seven north of the Great Wall" Evie said, taking a bite of one of the finger sandwiches on her plate.

"Next question. Prince Charming lives in what region of Auradon?"

"Easy princess" Harry said, a smirk gracing his lips. "Charmington."

She shook her head, and Harry looked confused. Obviously, Charmington would be named after Prince Charming, so wouldn't he live there as well?

"A rookie mistake. Prince Charming lives in Cinderellasburg because his castle is there."

"So, yer telling me they named a region after the guy and he don't even live there? Who the hell named these places?"

Evie giggled again. "Don't ask me, but you'll need to know it. On a related note, it's King Charming now to us commoners."

An hour later, the cafeteria was starting to pick up with students coming in for early dinner. Harry had gotten up to grab them some dinner, while Evie was busy packing everything away. Carlos and Jay entered the room and spotted Evie sitting off by herself in the corner. After grabbing some food and drinks, they made their way over and sat down with her.

"Hey, E. All by yourself?" Carlos asked.

"Nope, he's getting us some food. We've been here for the past hour going over Auradon's illustrious history" she said sarcastically.

"Who was with you?" Jay asked, but his question got answered when he saw Harry place the tray in front of Evie and his next to hers.

"Here ye go, lass" Harry said, giving her a peck on the cheek, not fazed by the two boys.

Both of them looked stunned as Harry sat down and started eating his meal, un-fazed by how the moment now became awkward. This wasn't the first time that Evie and Harry were spotted together outside of class, but for the group, it certainly was. Evie only offered them a small, embarrassed smile.

"So, when did this happen?" Jay asked, skepticism playing in his voice as he took a drink of his water.

"Since yesterday" Evie said, as if everyone should've known.

"And once again, you fail to tell us about it…" Jay muttered under his breath. She huffed out in frustration, now tired of this same damn argument. Evie dropped her fork on her plate, the metal on metal making a clanging sound.

"Oh my god, will you let that go?! Who I decide to date is not up for your approval. You didn't go after Carlos when he started dating Jane or when you shamelessly flirted with Audrey AND Jordan and then ended up with Lonnie" Evie pointed out.

"That's different" Jay said, trying to defend himself. "They aren't people we despise."

"Don't despise anymore. Remember when we first came here? I'm pretty sure we despised everyone and everything about Auradon. Second, I'm pretty sure you and Mal are the only ones that had a problem with the pirates. You just happened to drag Carlos and me into the feud."

Jay tried to retort and even looked over at Carlos for help, but even Carlos failed to look at him, indicating what Evie said was true. Meanwhile, Harry was smirking inwardly at how Jay was failing to get his way again. Jay managed to get everything he wanted, and this was one of those times where he wasn't.

"I still don't trust him" Jay said.

"Feelings mutual" Harry muttered. Evie shot them both a hard glare before turning her attention back to Jay.

"And I'm not asking you to pour your heart and soul out to him, but you need to be civil towards him, especially with what's happening at the end of the week" Evie said, a serious and businesslike expression falling on her face as she popped a bite of her salad in her mouth.

This now peaked both Jay and Carlos' attentions. Evie inwardly cursed herself, forgetting to mention the whole plan to them until this moment. She meant to ask them at lunch, but kind of got distracted. She recently became an adjunct event planner, and Jane was badgering her non-stop about the plans for family day this year.

"What…what's happening at the end of the week?" Carlos asked, his voice unsure and unsteady.

"We're going back to the Isle this weekend" she said bluntly. She already had Jay annoyed at her, she didn't need for this to go wrong as well.

"What do you mean we're going back this weekend?" Jay asked.

Evie let out a sigh. "Ben has this whole idea of spending a weekend on the Isle to see how we grew up, so he, Uma, and I spent last Saturday making a whole plan of it. So, after Friday's tourney match, we're going over to the Isle and coming back Sunday night."

Carlos let out a frustrated groan and laid his forehead on the table. Why did it seem every time a new villain kid came over, they always managed to go back to the Isle? Just once, Carlos wanted to avoid the Isle for one semester. Meanwhile, Harry kept on his silent eating quest, observing everything that has been going on. Without Mal here, the group seemed to be dissolving.

"So, you have this whole thing planned, but do you know who's going with him? Ben doesn't exactly know his left from his right when he's completely out of his element" Jay said.

"Actually Jay, he was hoping you would come along with us. In total, it's Uma, Harry and I going. You and Mal are supposed to be coming too."

Carlos let out a huge sigh of relief at not going. It saved him the entire panic routine and power point presentation on why he shouldn't go.

"Carlos and Gil are driving the limo over and back, because that tarp in broad daylight will be completely obvious. But Carlos, we do have an important task for you."

"Sure, anything. Just make sure I do not have to stay in that place" he said quickly, the words stringing together.

Evie gave him a small chuckle. "No, it's not that. I'll be giving you my magic mirror to track us on the Isle. I'll have Mal spell it so it won't lose connection. If something happens to us, you can go alert Fairy Godmother and get us the help we need."

Silence fell over the group, each of them picking at their food now, hunger and appetites diminished. The whole plan was thought out, and there was no use fighting it. Jay eventually conceded and accepted the proposal, making Evie sigh in relief and dig back into her chicken salad. Now, it only left Mal to accept it and for them to put their minor plan details into action. Out of all of them, Mal was going to be the hardest to convince. Evie knew that Ben would be able to get the mirror and the spell book out of the museum, but the excuse would have to be something believable to justify their removal.

Over the next half hour, the group managed to push out awkward conversation after awkward conversation. It still wasn't natural to have Harry around them, and they realized why Evie kept their relationship a secret. The two groups hardly had anything in common, besides tourney and their blue-haired friend. But Evie could sense the tide was turning and that the three boys were starting to act civil towards each other. However, it looked extremely painful for them to swallow their prides and put their differences aside for the sake of their friend. Perhaps them being together in a cramped space for a weekend will be the start of acquaintanceship.

With all the food abandoned and the glasses empty, the four of them started to scatter. Jay headed off towards Lonnie's dorm, Carlos was off towards the library, and Harry and Evie went off to Harry's dorm. Gil was absent, giving Harry and Evie some much-needed privacy. Evie placed her bag on Harry's made-up bed and pulled out her textbook again. She looked around the room, her mind impressed with how neat and organized everything was. With Gil as his roommate, she was sure that the room would look like the Queen of Hearts' minions trashed and stampeded all over the place.

"Ok, let's get back to…" Evie said before her train of thought was cut off by the sound of the door locking and the look in Harry's eyes. He sauntered slowly up to her, his eyes becoming dilated. Evie's body shivered, and it wasn't because of how cold the room was.

"Get back tae what?" he said, his voice low and breathy in Evie's ear. He started to place kisses along her jawline before he trailed down to a sweet spot on Evie's neck. A small moan escaped her lips, and Harry smirked against her neck.

"We need…to um…." Evie stuttered out, but it was hard when her pirate was hell-bent on giving her a hickey.

"We need tae what?" he asked in a sultry voice. Evie couldn't put a string of coherent words together. They needed to study for this exam, but Harry had other ideas in mind before that happened. Besides, they already studied over an hour earlier, and what use is there to retaining knowledge if there wasn't a study break in between?

"Don't fight it princess" he whispered in her ear again.

First it was his jacket pushed off his shoulders, and then it was him being pushed back onto the bed.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Chapter 19 rough spoiler.**

 _"Oh shit..." she said hoarsely, her voice betraying her._

 _"What...what is it?" Harry asked, now getting concerned._

 _Evie just pointed to the bed, and Harry's gaze followed the direction of her finger before his eyes widened and realization crept in._

 _"Do ye think...?" he managed to get out, before an audible squeak of the bathroom door opened up._


	19. Chapter 19: Guess Who's Back?

**A/N**

 **I have a feeling a lot of you will like this chapter. It's definitely one that has been coming, and you guys have been waiting so patiently for it. Happy reading and let me know what you think!**

* * *

The number of days towards their return to the Isle were slowly creeping down. In only 48 hours, the reality of the Isle was going to slap them across the face, and they were going back to eating disgusting food and walking on pot-holed, trash-lined streets. Just before her eyes it was Wednesday night, and she begged for time to slow down as much as possible. Unfortunately, it worked against her, and time seemed to be moving at double speed.

Evie was sitting in the cafeteria at a table that also included Dizzy and Harry, the most unlikely pairing. It was an awkward scene if anyone were to look at it from the outside: an eleven year old and two eighteen year olds at the same table. Of course, Dizzy and Evie had known each other since Dizzy could form a coherent conversation given that Evie went to Curl Up and Dye every week. It was originally just the two girls at the table, but after his tourney practice, Harry sought Evie out and had no choice but to sit with Dizzy as well.

Evie and Dizzy's trays lay beside them absent of their dinner, while Harry was still picking at his pasta. Evie was in full-on concentration mode, her pen scribbling on a page in her notebook, and by the looks of it, the ink was running out. She was writing down everything they would need or may possibly need for their trip to the Isle. Ben had given her strict instructions to not pack any food or drink related items, insisting he wanted to know what it was like to eat their food; Evie thought he was delusional when he told her it didn't sound that bad. Leave it to Ben to be naïve once again when it came to her home.

"Ok, I think that's everything we need" she said, laying down her pen and looking over her list, seeing if she missed anything. She moved her wrist in a circle, trying to massage and stretch it after the vigorous exercise it just received.

Harry glanced over her shoulder, reading down the list. The list had basic requirements such as their Isle attire and basic toiletry items, but he noticed there was little drawings on the list. It contained a weird-perfume shaped bottle, a broken mirror, and a pirate sword.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the bottle sketch she made.

"Oh…that" she said, emphasizing the word "that". "I figured that if Mal was coming with us, she could make another sleeping spray that we could use in case we need it. Only two sprays and anyone is knocked out like a light. If you need a reference, you can ask Chad. He's the only known victim of it."

Dizzy giggled, and Harry cracked a smile. He would gladly give up his hook to see that scene with his own two eyes.

"The only problem is" she sighed, slightly frustrated at yet another possible setback. "I don't know if it will work over in the Isle. Magic is severely hampered there, but since it would be made here in the chemistry lab, it should be effective. Besides, Mal used magic inside the barrier that night when we got the trident back, and didn't Uma use the necklace's magic to try and grab it?"

Harry shook his head. "Don't ask me tae remember anything about that night. It was storming somethin' fierce and we almost tipped over."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to make one and try it out" she said resolutely. "Now that that's covered, we need to figure out the sword situation. We can't exactly take the swords here from Auradon since someone will know." After Li'l Shang found out that Lonnie took the swords from the amphitheater, she got a stern lecture from her mother and father.

Harry closed his eyes and tried to think of something; Evie could see the gears in his mind working at full speed. It was no secret that there were pirate swords on the Isle, but finding them was going to be the trick.

"There's a sword check barrel at the Chip Shop, but ye can't waltz in there and take them. People will see ye, and pirates don't like when someone takes their swords."

Evie let out another frustrated sigh and began hitting her head on the table, fed up with how complicated Ben's plan was. Without the swords, they had no protection from anyone. And given how none of them were too popular on the Isle, it gives anyone a reason to target them. She hit her head again, but instead of the hard surface, she felt something soft. She looked over and saw Harry covering the table.

"Don't need ma' princess injuring herself and messing up that smart brain of hers."

Evie couldn't help but have a goofy grin on her face. Harry's sweetness was too much for her at times. Her mind was starting to drift off, but then she remembered the task at hand.

"Where else could we get swords then? There's has to be another place to find them."

"Why not your ship?" Dizzy asked, her voice breaking in. She looked back and forth at them, sipping her lemonade through her straw. Evie and Harry looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and amazement.

"What? What did I do?"

"Dizzy, you're a genius!" Evie exclaimed. "Are there any on Uma's ship?" she asked, turning her attention to Harry.

"I think that Uma had some spares below deck. We could try there and see if they have any. If not, we could always raid ma' dad's ship for them, but I don't think he'll like it that much."

"We'll just plan to get them from Uma's ship. Now, that should be everything covered. I'll get this list copied and passed out to everyone tomorrow."

Harry picked up all of their trays, returning them to the drop-off counter. Evie finished off her drink and placed the empty glass to the side.

"Evie, did you finish the sketch for my family day dress yet?" Dizzy asked. She was eager to see it and hounded Evie every day for it.

"Actually I did" she said, pulling the sketch book out of her bag and opening it up to the design.

It was a short dress with the signature puffy sleeves of her mother. The sleeves and bodice were a light green in color, with the rest of the dress in the signature chartreuse color of her mother. The cyan color hugged the cuffs and trim of the dress, and the yellow low-heels complimented the design perfectly. The two hair buns Dizzy had were accessorized with cyan bows. She struggled with the color palette in the first place, but after multiple alterings of the shades, she found the perfect ones to suit the overall design.

"That looks amazing!" Dizzy squealed, making Evie giggle. Harry appeared behind her and took his seat again, looking quizzically at the sketch.

"Did ye make that yerself?" he asked, slightly awed.

"Mhm. It's for family day coming up soon. By the way, I could make one for you" she said, batting her eyelashes.

"Fat chance of that, princess. Besides, I remember a certain someone lovin' ma' pirate attire" he said, giving her a wink.

"Oh come on. Please" she whined, staring at him with her puppy dog eyes. She knew it was juvenile, but it was nevertheless effective.

"Alright fine, but don't stray that far from this" he said, gesturing down to his pirate outfit. Of course, he had multiple sets of it, but it was his signature look, and the pirates weren't a group to stray far from their original looks, unlike the others.

Evie squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You won't regret it, I promise."

"Alright…so what's this family day ye speak of?" he asked, a confused look on his face. At Serpent Prep, there wasn't a thing called "family day", but it didn't matter. Most parents didn't give a rat's ass about their children.

"It's a whole celebration thing where our parents come and see the school and we hang out with them. It's one of the major things that happens every year."

"Our parents get tae come tae Auradon?" he asked, still confused on the whole topic. "I thought that they couldn't."

Evie gave him a small laugh, now finally understanding what he was confused about.

"No silly" she said, giving his shoulder a playful shove. "Our parents don't get to come. We got a video conference with them last year, but it went south way too fast. We do get to hang out with our friends and meet their family members. Dizzy's the only one of us who gets to meet the other half of her family."

Dizzy gave a wide smile, excited to finally meet the famous Cinderella that her grandmother, mother, and aunt despised with a passion. From what Lady Tremaine told her, Cinderella was just a useless house maid, but since coming to Auradon, she learned that Cinderella was anything but that.

"Trust me, little Dizzy, ye don't want tae meet that Charming guy. He's a real pain in the arse."

"Harry!" Evie hissed under her breath, smacking his shoulder again. Dizzy meanwhile just giggled at the whole scene. They seemed to be forgetting that language wasn't censored on the Isle, and she often heard very unique words from her grandmother and her customers.

"Oops. Sorry little Diz."

"I should have this done sometime next week. I'll put you in on Saturday for a fitting" Evie said, shutting up her sketchbook and standing up, packing up her things. She swept her bag over her shoulder, while Harry wrapped his arm around her waist, his left hand holding his hook.

"Bye Dizzy" she said, while Harry gave her a sly smile and a salute with his hook.

They made their way out of the cafeteria, heading up to her dorm. They rounded the corner and interrupted a private moment between Carlos and Jane, making the latter blush furiously. They headed up the stairs and down the corridor.

"You certainly were nice to Dizzy tonight. What changed?"

Harry wasn't that gracious to the other villains, particularly Dizzy. To make matters worse, Dizzy was a part of a prank Harry and the other pirates planned out, which left the entire store trashed and Lady Tremaine horribly upset. Dizzy spent the entire night sweeping up the store and listened to a lecture yelled at her from her mother and grandmother.

"Well, ye two are close, so I figured I should be nice tae yer little sister" he said, and Evie's heart melted.

"We call that the Auradon effect."

"Don't get that used tae it. It's only because Dizzy likes ye. Still villains after all."

She unlocked the door, and Harry waltzed in, taking his place on Evie's bed and relaxing, his ankles crossed and his hands clasped behind his head. Evie, however, stood still in the center of the room, her bag and purse on the floor.

"Something wrong, princess?" Harry asked, trying to figure out what was causing her despair.

Evie knew that something was off about her dorm, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Her bed was perfectly made up before Harry went and messed it up. All the dresses were in the exact same order she left them, and all the items on her desk were perfectly in order. Nothing on her dresser or night stand were out of place or missing. She finally glanced over to the bed beside hers, and found the source of the problem.

A purple suitcase and a purple backpack were lying on the bed.

"Oh shit…" she said hoarsely, her voice betraying her.

"What…what is it?" Harry asked, making his way over to her.

Evie just pointed to the bed, and Harry's gaze followed the direction of her finger. What he saw made his eyes widened and realization to creep in.

"Do ye think…?" he managed to get out, before an audible squeak of the bathroom door pierced their ears.

A pale figure with long, dark purple hair strutted out of the bathroom, dressed in ripped white leggings and a blue tourney jersey.

"I'm back" the figure drawled out.

* * *

Evie stood there, utterly shocked and confused, while Harry's face turned hard as stone, staring at Mal. Mal was standing in the bathroom doorway like she had always been here for the past week and a half. All three of them looked at each other, not believing what was happening. Harry eventually broke the silence.

"Well, ye certainly took yer sweet arse time tae come back" Harry said, not bothering to hide the subtle anger in his voice. He slowly walked up to her and circled her, like a vulture circling its dead prey.

Mal rolled her eyes at his gesture. "You still don't scare me, so pick on someone weaker like you always have."

"Hmm, I remember someone else pickin' on people weaker than her" he said, slowly dragging his hook's curve through her hair. Mal caught his wrist and threw the hook out of his grasp.

"Do that again and I'll shove that hook up your ass."

Harry stared at her as he walked back to Evie's side. She was still in shock at the scene in front of her, but she knew that it was real. However, she knew that Mal wasn't going to talk unless Harry was out of the room.

"Harry, can you give us a minute" Evie asked, the tone of her voice suggesting that this was a request he had to fulfill. Her eyes never left the sight of Mal.

Harry shot Mal a glare before opening up the door and exiting. Once the door shut, Evie rounded on Mal.

"You have about three seconds to explain yourself" she said, her voice dangerously low.

"I figured you missed me, so I thought I would grace you with my presence" Mal said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Still up to the same bullshit aren't you" she sarcastically laughed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Why don't you actually cut through it and tell me the real reason why you're back in MY dorm? As far as I'm concerned, you don't live here anymore" Evie shot at her with spite. Mal flinched back slightly, the first time someone made her.

"Ok, to be fair, you do have a reason to be mad at me…" Mal managed to get out.

"Oh, I have a reason to be mad at you? I HAVE A WHOLE DAMN BOOK OF REASONS WHY I SHOULD BE MAD AT YOU!" she shouted.

Mal opened her mouth to retort, but Evie was quick to cut her off.

"No. For once, you're going to shut up and sit down and listen, because I don't think what I said before ever truly got into that thick skull of yours."

Mal's eyes narrowed at Evie as she took her seat on her bed. Evie paced back and forth in front of her, ready to unleash her inner beast.

"First off, how in the hell do you think you can just waltz back in the room and act like everything was fine. Did you really expect me to just break down in front of you, begging for us to be friends again? Second of all, why the hell did you choose to come back now?"

"Because I legitimately felt bad about our fight and wanted to make up" Mal said, but Evie knew she was lying through her teeth.

"Complete and utter bullshit. Why don't you actually tell me the real reason?"

Mal clenched her jaw and rolled her neck, trying to fight her inner conscience. Her actions only confirmed that Mal didn't come here on her own terms.

"So, where is he?" Evie asked, before the person of interest came out of the bathroom. Ben had a sheepish and guilty look on his face. He held his hands up in surrender, moving to grab Evie's desk chair and taking a seat in it.

"Why the hell are you here?"

"I'm only here to make sure that you two work this out, and I'm not leaving until you do. We have an important mission coming up and I need everyone in the group to be on the same page."

"Ugh…fine" Evie conceded, knowing she had no way to fight against this.

"Alright, let's start with you. Why did you get angry at Mal the first time?"

Evie scoffed at this question. She knew that Ben knew the reason why, but she had to play the therapist game.

"Why did I get mad at her? Maybe because it was the fact that she called me a horrible best friend for not 'defending her'" she said, using air quotes to emphasize her point.

"What did you not defend her from?"

"Ben, do we really have to do this? I think we all know the story."

"You're both acting juvenile about this, so I'm going to treat you both like the juvenile you guys are." Both girls stood there, arms crossed in front of their chest, their hip jutted out, only proving the point the young king was making.

"Now, what did you not defend her from?"

"She thought I was taking Uma's side when I snapped at her for her ridiculous and pathetic feud with her. It's nothing but complete crap and petty as hell."

"So, Mal was wrong in her thinking and judgment about you?"

"You're the wise king, you tell me" Evie said, moving over to sit down on her plush chair, legs and arms crossed. She never had this much sass and attitude towards the king before, but it felt natural for her to have it at this moment.

"So, why was Mal wrong in her judgment?" Ben asked, ignoring the attitude radiating off Evie.

"Why was it wrong" she asked, standing up slowly. "BECAUSE I FOLLOWED HER ON EVERY PLAN THAT SHE HAD. I SPENT MY TIME AND EFFORT HELPING HER TRY TO FIT IN AURADON SOCIETY. I HELPED HER DEFEAT HER MOTHER. I HELPED HER WITH EVERYTHING SHE ASKED ME TO AND SHE HAS THE NERVE TO TREAT ME LIKE THIS!"

Ben cringed at the tone of her voice. Evie was really upset about this, even though her recent moods said the complete opposite.

"Mal…is this true?"

Mal gave him a sour look, her pride refusing to answer. She still tried to forget that she had a major part in this, much like how she was on the Isle. Unfortunately, her inner goodness was winning, and her pride wasn't strong enough to overcome her villainous side.

"Fine. Yes, it's true. All of it. There…happy, Evie? I finally admitted it!"

"Wow congratulations. Want a cookie?" She sarcastically shot back, making Mal narrow her eyes at her again.

"Ok, calm down both of you. So, Mal, why did you think that Evie wasn't defending you?"

She only gave him an "are you kidding me" look. "Uh, because she wasn't? She attacked me over my rivalry with Uma, while barely going after her. She made it seem like it was all my fault that Uma and I had a rivalry to begin with."

"Well…it's sort of true. You were the one who dumped the bucket on her head" Ben pointed out.

"So, I dumped a bucket on her head. Big deal. Last time I checked, I was the one humiliated and not her."

"Figures" Evie said, rolling her eyes. "Everything Uma did to you was way worse than anything you ever did. Why don't you just SUCK. IT. UP. AND. GET. OVER. IT!"

"She does have a point though Mal. It does seem like this whole thing was trivial" Ben said, standing up and moving over to Mal, placing his hands on her shoulders. Mal let out a huff, clearly upset that she was now solo in her view.

"Look, I know you're upset over this. Both of you are. And I know both of you are hurting over this. I've never seen you two spend this much time apart from each other. I remember the first time you guys came here and I saw how close you two were. You guys went everywhere together whenever you could. I know you two want to be that close again" he said gently, running his fingers through her hair.

Evie was trying to wipe away the tears as quickly as they were falling. She wasn't going to break through her façade of being furious. Through it all, Mal was her sister; the only other one who knew exactly what she was going through. No matter what happened between them, they were still best friends, and both of them knew it.

"I'm not going to tell you to become friends again, but I just want you guys to at least be civil and conversational towards each other" Ben said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

Mal nodded, and Ben gave her another kiss on her forehead. He bid his goodbye and left the dorm, leaving the girls to their thoughts. Both stood there, refusing to look at the other. Evie eventually broke her stance, and shoved her shoulder past Mal and went into the bathroom, ready to take her makeup off. Mal silently followed her, watching her as she took makeup remover and wiped her face.

"Are you going to at least say something to me?" Mal asked.

"Aha. I don't think there's anything left to say. You clearly made your feelings known" Evie shot back, throwing the colorful cotton pad in the nearby trashcan and exiting the bathroom, heading to her closet.

"What are you still so upset about? I said I was wrong, didn't I?"

"That's the problem Mal" Evie said, emerging from her closet. "You think that just admitting that you were wrong somehow makes everything better. News flash…it doesn't."

"Fine, you want an apology? I'm sorry. There…happy?"

Evie gave her a look of complete disbelief, truly shocked by how casually Mal took this incident.

"You still don't get it, do you? Let me just tell you this. You hurt me far worse than any abuse and punishment my mother gave me. So the fact that you just take this so casual really pisses me off. Being friends with you mad every punishment more bearable because I had something to look forward to after them."

Mal stood there, trying to process everything. Mal knew firsthand at how Evie's mother was when things didn't go her way, and it was not a pretty sight. But what tugged at her heartstrings was how she said this whole incident was worse than any punishment she received. It wasn't until that moment she realized how much she was hurting and how upset she was about this. Mal lifted her head, a complete look of understanding on her face.

"Oh my god…E" she said gently, moving over to where Evie was. She could see Evie try hard not to cry, but it was obvious that she was about to break down.

"I'm so sorry, E. I'm sorry I treated you like complete shit. You've been the greatest best friend I ever had. And I know I don't say it enough, but I'm so thankful for everything that you done for me. Without you, I never would've been able to do anything."

Evie finally cracked, and she threw her arms around Mal, making the purple haired girl release the floodgates. Both stood there until their knees gave out, and both sank to the floor, a tangled mess of limbs and tears.

"That's all I ever wanted Mal" Evie whispered, tightening her grip on her sister.

Both girls pulled away from their hug, wiping their faces of the remaining moisture and fixing their hair to look presentable.

"Are we going to be ok?" Mal asked, tucking a piece of hair behind Evie's ear.

"Yeah…we're going to be ok" Evie softly said while squeezing their clasped hands, which made a small smile appear on Mal's lips. Both girls hugged again before standing up.

"Look, I know that you and Harry obviously have plans, so we'll talk about this afterwards. I do suggest the library because no one is there right now" she said, giving her a wink.

Evie grabbed her bag and opened the door, but not before Mal stopped her.

"Oh, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Evie gave her head a shake and a small, amused laugh, before shutting the door and heading toward Harry's dorm.


	20. Chapter 20: Coming Together

**A/N**

 **Welcome back to another chapter. For all my new followers and favoriters, I welcome you to my story and thanks for your favorite and follow. Please check out the end of the chapter for some important news.**

 **This is probably my favorite chapter I wrote after their date night chapter. Let me know what you think.**

* * *

"Alright, last scenario" Fairy Godmother said from her podium in Remedial Goodness 101. "When someone posts a picture on their Insta-Royal account, what should you comment if you decide to comment?"

She had a hopeful expression on her face that was equally matched by the absolute boredom of the other students. Uma was scribbling her pirate symbol on one of the pages in her notebook, Gil was tapping and drumming with his pencils, while Harry kept fluttering his eyes open and shut, trying to fight off the losing battle with sleep.

She loudly tapped the chalkboard, pulling their attention from their mindless tasks and back onto the board. Harry studied each answer, making sure he knew the correct answer, even if he didn't answer it. However, Fairy Godmother picked up on his subtle gestures: the slight leaning forward of his body, the determined look in his eyes, and the gears turning in his head.

"Harry...would you like to answer the question?"

Normally, he would shake his head and shout "NO" at the top of his lungs, but since his tutoring session with Evie last night, he was beginning to be a little more confident in answering questions. He never actually said them out loud, but he knew them in his mind.

"Uhhh...is it 'something nice and positive'?" he asked, unsure of himself. He remembered what his girlfriend told his about answering these questions, but since the advice came from the mouth of the dragon, Harry was skeptical of this whole "pick the non-fun" strategy.

He was about to quickly correct himself, but Fairy Godmother had a smile form on her face for the first time, and he knew that the answer was correct.

"Excellent Harry. I think you're all starting to get it. We'll just have to work on the 'paying attention' part, but we'll cover that as we go along" Fairy Godmother said, looking around the room. Uma and Gil were back to their distractions, completely oblivious to what Fairy Godmother said. This whole class reminded Uma of the time they learned about pirate flags and their history, which made anyone with half a brain fall asleep.

Deep down, Harry felt proud of himself, and he knew Evie would be proud of him too, if and when he told her. He couldn't tell, but Fairy Godmother was starting to be proud of him as well.

A figure with long, brown hair and a pale blue dress with a pink ribbon tied around the waist entered the open-spaced classroom. Jane was holding an envelope that was marked with the official seal, meaning that this was a letter from the King himself.

"Hello, my child" Fairy Godmother greeted her. Jane was trying hard to constrict her body as much as possible from the pirates. While she may know good and well about the other VKs, she didn't know the pirates that well, and tried her best to avoid them at any cost.

"This...is um...a letter from...uh...Ben" she stuttered out, nervously looking back and forth between them.

"Jane, you know our new guests. We have Harry, Uma, and Gil" Fairy Godmother said, pointing to each one before opening and reading the letter intently. If it came from the King, it had to be important.

Uma gave Jane a sarcastic little wave, while Harry gave her a Cheshire Cat grin and a wave with his hook. He emphasized the look with the raising and lowering of his eyebrows once. It had been a while since he was able to intimidate someone this much, so when his chance came, he took it. Truth be told, he was a little excited to go back to the Isle, where he could intimidate anyone to his hearts desire. Perhaps his first target would be Anthony Tremaine, or maybe the Ringmaster's children Herbert and Hermie Bing, two of his favorite and easiest targets.

"Alright then. I'll take it from here. Thank you Jane" Fairy Godmother said, placing the letter and envelope on the right side of her podium. Jane quickly scampered out of the room and down the hallway, trying to get as far away from the room as possible.

"Ok, before I dismiss you for the rest of the day, I have the results of your assignments from yesterday" she said, and the lighthearted ambiance in the room dropped. Harry's heart started to beat faster in his chest, and he swore that the others could hear it. This was the one class they could not fail or else they would be sent back.

She handed Gil his paper, whose happy mood turned sour and confused. Uma's face showed nothing at all, causing Harry to glance over to her paper and see a bright red A on it. _Damn you Uma._

Fairy Godmother placed Harry's paper down in front of him, and he nervously peeked at the paper he turned over. In the top right corner was a bright red B+ on it, and he visibly relaxed back into his seat. He managed to know enough for a B+, one of the highest grades he got so far in his challenging classes. He still had a ways to go before he would be getting high grades consistently, but at least he was on the right path, and he had a certain princess to thank for that. _Maybe Auradon did have an effect on people._

"I'm impressed with all of your grades. I hope you all keep this up for the rest of the semester" Fairy Godmother said with a kind smile, looking at each one of them, her gaze lingering on Harry a little longer than the others. The pirates started to gather up their stuff, noticing the time on the clock.

"Before you go, King Ben has requested you three in his office" she said, and that caused everyone to abandon their previous task and stare at Fairy Godmother.

"What does he want with us?" Uma asked, trying to find out more information. Just hearing that Ben wants them in their office was enough to start putting them on edge.

"His letter didn't say much, just that he wanted you three to be in his office after class."

Harry and Uma looked at each other, both of them thinking of the worst case scenario. If someone was called to Ben's office, it had to mean something bad, right?

The bell rung, and they each filed out of the classroom and started their journey to Ben's office. Unfortunately, it was clear on the other side of the castle.

"Why does Ben want to see us?" Gil asked as they exited the library.

"Oh, he just wants to sit down with us and have a nice afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and scones" Uma said sarcastically, making Harry's lips turn up in amusement. Perhaps toying with Gil would ease their nerves.

"Really?" Gil asked, a hopeful expression on his face. He's been hungry since lunch, and he would do anything for a snack right now.

"No, you complete dipshit" Uma said, smacking his head. "None of us know. Although, I do have a few reasons on my mind."

Harry tuned them out as they proceeded into the main castle and turned down the corridor towards their destination. Why did Ben want to see them? This was the first time he ever requested to see them; he wasn't exactly the greatest host if you were to ask them. He didn't stop by once and ask them how they were doing or to see if they had any questions. Maybe this was the meeting where he was going to ask them. But since they were going to the Isle tomorrow night, it could be a last minute conversation in order to tighten any last minute screws.

He turned his attention to Uma. "Ye don't think..." he trailed off, letting Uma complete the puzzle.

"It's possible, but then why would he ask Gil to come?" she asked, peaking Gil's interest.

"Wait" Gil said, doing the mental math. "Do you guys know something I don't?"

"There are a lot of things we know they ye don't. Yer going tae have tae be specific."

"Oh come on" Gil whined, upset that he was being left out of the inside joke yet again. "Just tell me."

"No, now shut up" Uma said, knocking on Ben's door. At the sound of his voice, the three of them entered. The sight before them was one to behold. If you didn't take a picture, you never would have believed it.

* * *

All the villain children, minus little Dizzy, were in the office. Mal was sitting on Ben's lap behind his desk, his arms wrapped snuggly and comfortable around her waist and her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. Evie was standing off to the side near the portrait of Ben by his bedroom door, while Jay was sitting on the back counter with Carlos sitting in one of the chairs. Uma took a seat in the empty chair, crossing her arms and legs, clearly annoyed with being here. Harry wandered over to where Evie was standing and threw an arm around her shoulder, while Gil stood by the bookcase near the exit to Ben's office.

"Alright, so why exactly do you want to see us here?" Uma asked, quickly cutting to the chase. The less time she spent in the presence of Mal, the better.

"We're just going over the final details before we leave tomorrow night" Ben said, prompting Evie to hand everyone a piece of paper. "Evie made a list of everything you'll need. Only bring the necessities and pack as minimal as possible."

The room fell silent as everyone besides Gil and Carlos looked over the sheet of paper in front of them. Harry raised an eyebrow as he read down it, noticing the absence of food. He would've thought that Ben would be bringing food from Auradon.

"Uh...ye seem tae be forgetting the food" Harry said.

"Nope, I didn't. I specifically request that none of you sneak any food from Auradon over there. We'll be eating whatever they prepare there."

"You have GOT to be kidding me" Uma said, not amused. "I'm not going back to eating that disgusting rat shit."

"Well, you are, so the sooner you get over it, the better" Ben shot back. Uma narrowed her eyes at him before going back to reading the list along with everyone else. It wasn't long before her voice and displeasure made itself known again.

"So, Mal gets to use her magic and bring it over, and yet my necklace is still locked up in the museum. Seems totally fair and not biased at all."

Once again, the deck was stacked against her. Mal was bringing something of her creation, Evie was allowed to use her mirror, and the whole group got to bring their friend. Uma only got Harry in this deal, meaning she had no leverage or additional backup if things didn't go the way she thought they should. It was a four against two situation; however, she figured it was going to be a five against one situation with Harry and Evie's relationship now rekindled.

"The magic is only used to keep us safe, so stop bitching and get over it shrimpy" Mal shot back.

"ANYWAYS" Jay said, his voice raised to get the conversation back on track. "Can we just finish up this conversation? We have tourney practice in twenty minutes."

"Alright" Ben said. "The plan is to leave tomorrow late at night in the limo, which Carlos and Gil will drive. We'll stay in Bargain Castle, and we'll get food and supplies from the Slop Shop across the street, the docks, and possibly the Chip Shop if we can. Sunday night, Gil and Carlos will come back and take us back here to Auradon Prep. Carlos will have access to the magic mirror that will be spelled to track us there. Any questions or concerns?"

"Wait" Gil replied. "Why don't I get to stay with you guys?" This made Uma widened her eyes and shoot her hand towards Gil, trying to convey her point.

"Because it took ye twenty minutes tae find Serpent Prep on the first day..." Harry muttered.

"Ok, to be fair, it was hard to find" Gil said trying to defend himself.

"It was down the road from the ship ye moron" Harry replied, causing the others in the room to snicker.

"Ok, besides that, does anyone else have something that concerns them?"

"Uh yeah...I do" Mal said standing up and pointing at Uma. "She isn't invited into my house, so think of another place to sleep. Don't need to be attracting squids to rampage my house."

"Please...a squid would be an upgrade over you" Uma snapped, standing up and getting in Mal's face. The room immediately dissolved into tensions and arguments again. This was exactly how Ben's first council meeting went: chaos and disorder. Unsuccessful in his diplomatic attempts to restore order, he climbed up onto his desk, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.

"ENOUGH!"

The fighting in the group forgotten for now, all seven pairs of eyes were trained on Ben, wondering what he was going to say now that he was in beast mode. Evie silently slipped her hand into Harry's, trying to find some comfort from the brewing rage that Ben, now off his desk, was going to pour out.

"Look, I get that none of us like each other, but you guys have GOT. TO. GET. IT. TOGETHER!" he shouted, slamming his fist down on each word to drive home his point. "No one wins this way. We're going to a place that relies on all of us working together in order to survive. If you guys cannot stop this, you all will find yourself back on the Isle before any of you can say 'oops'."

"Please" Uma scoffed, giving Harry an amused expression that he didn't return. "You're bluffing."

"Oh really?" Ben said, staring down Uma as he made his way around his desk. "Try me" he said low and dangerously, towering over her. Uma, however, stood her ground against the King. She wasn't going to be intimidated by an Auradon boy.

"I cannot stress how important this is to me. I'm trying to help and you guys are acting like a bunch of damn five year olds, and I've met more civilized five year olds."

Carlos and Jay turned their heads away in shame, while Evie looked down at the interesting rug pattern and Mal ran her fingers through her hair, delighted that Uma was getting talked down to. Harry took a step forward as a warning for Ben to not try anything funny.

"Well..." he asked, turning around to look at all the eyes trained away from him. "Anyone going to say anything?"

Yet again, he was met only with silence. The whole plan was falling apart at the seams, and nothing even happened yet. No bags were packed, and the limo wasn't filled with gas yet. With an exasperated sigh, he threw his hands up in the air and entered his bedroom, slamming the door behind him, making Evie and Mal wince. Ben was one to hardly get upset, and when he did, it was often full-blown rage.

The whole scene was now the most awkward moment in the history of awkward moments. On one side, you had the pirate gang; on the other, you had the legendary VKs. Right down the middle of the two of them was the princess herself. Everyone just stood there, not knowing what to say or do. No one dared say anything first, because three other people would be immediately arguing right back in your face. The humdrum tick of the clock on the wall was the only sound in the room besides the occasional sniff or cough.

Eventually, Mal was the first one to break the silence. Gil subtly shifted into the chair that lay abandoned by Uma, trying to avoid being caught up in the brewing drama.

"He's right you guys" she sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair again, the stress and agony of admitting they were wrong getting to her. She always hated when she had to admit she was wrong.

"Of course...the king is always right..." Uma muttered.

"For once, can you shut up and forget about it?" Carlos asked annoyed.

"Watch yer mouth, or ye'll be tastin' metal and dog fur" Harry threatened, his stare focused hard at the young de Vil. He may be dating Evie, but he was still best friends with Uma and no one talked bad about his friends.

"Ooo...big talk coming from a guy who cried when he was seven because his precious little hook got stolen" Jay retorted, laughing to himself.

"Oh my god, I remember that" Mal said, now finding the humor in this situation.

"Funny, I seem to remember a six year old girl who cried and almost wet herself because she broke one of the Horned King's cauldrons" Uma fired back at Mal.

"Ha. Says the big bad octopus who got scared by fire in the middle of water. Talk about complete irony."

Meanwhile, Evie stood by silently as the group dissolved back into tensions and chaos. She tried her best to stay out of it, but as the fighting went on, she knew she had to do something. Without her, the children on the Isle would be stuck in their current conditions.

"GUYS!" she shouted. All eyes were now on her. Evie took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions before she spoke. The way she approached this would determine how the plan would continue.

"Listen. What Ben said was true. We're all acting like five year olds, which honestly is how childish this whole rivalry is. In case you guys haven't noticed, this isn't about us" she said, drawing her finger in a circle to emphasize her point. "This is about the rest on the Isle that need our help." She pointed off through the window at the Isle resting miles away.

"Oh, I'll help, just not with Mal and the others."

"God, why are you such a pain in the ass? When will you learn to let it go?"

The interaction between Evie and Uma was a unique one to see. Of course, Uma and Evie had spoken under the guise of civil conversation, but this was a totally new environment for them. It was also a new environment for the others who had never seen Evie and Uma speak two words to each other until today.

"I'll let it go when she actually apologizes for once" Uma fired back.

"Ha! As if..." Mal replied, picking at her nails.

"God, yer both giving me a headache" Harry said, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

"Look, no one is asking you to apologize. That is on your own term. But I will be damned if this comes back and bites us in the ass because of you two or any of us. If Harry and I could learn to put our differences aside, you guys can too."

"Wait, you two are dating again?" Gil asked. Everyone seemed to forget that he was in the room with them.

"Not that it matters right now, but yeah, we are. Can we get back to the conversation at hand?"

"Not really much of a conversation..." Gil mumbled, thinking he wasn't heard.

Evie's face contorted into something between furious, annoyed, and spiteful. She leaned down and placed one hand on each side of the chair, effectively trapping Gil. She swooped her hair over her shoulder and leaned her face so close to him that he could feel her breath on his face.

"I suggest you shut up, or else I will be taking a razor and wax strips and removing every piece of body hair that you have, and trust me, it won't be pretty."

Gil gulped and nodded his head vigorously. Evie stood up, flipped her hair back and stood by Harry again, pleased with her victory. Harry stood by, impressed with how she managed to get the group under her control. He lifted his arm and rubbed comforting circles on her lower back, encouraging her to continue.

"We're going to be in cramped quarters on the Isle where none of us is popular. If they get the chance, they will cut our heads off and feast on them. We need each other right now more than ever if we want to survive and make it back in one piece." Her voice was starting to crack, and she knew it wasn't long before the tears would be falling out of her eyes.

"If we don't pull this together, we are going to be stuck on the Isle for the rest of our lives again. And...I'm not...going to live...there again. I won't" she managed to get out before she broke down and buried her head in Harry's neck. Harry pulled her close and rubbed his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her.

In that moment, everyone knew how serious this situation was. Evie was absolutely right. They weren't all that different from each other. They all had similar backgrounds and upbringings; all seven of them were the ones who could relate to each other the most. Even in Auradon, the parents of all the children still looked at them sideways, afraid that a poisoned apple will slip into their backpacks or that Mal would charm them to do an evil bidding. She knew that they were always going to be considered the "children from the Isle", even if they broke that stereotype time after time. One slip-up and Auradon would be jumping down their throats.

But even more than that, none of them wanted to go back to the abusive and horrible way they lived with their parents. Carlos slept on a mattress without a pillow, Jay slept on a rug in his father's store, and Uma worked as a waitress all her life. They came to Auradon hoping to escape it and have a new life, and now the reality was that they may end up right back at square one, their progress and advancements completely trashed and wasted.

Carlos made his way to the middle of the room and stuck his right hand out. "I'm in" he said.

"I'm with you too, C." Jay said, slapping Carlos' back and placing his hand on top of Carlos'. Ben's bedroom door was creaking open slowly, and it was cracked just enough to see out into the office discreetly.

Evie pulled her head off of his neck, and wiped the remaining moisture from her face. She placed a shaky hand on top of the other two, signifying her pact. Gil placed his right hand on top of Evie's shocking both Uma and Harry.

"What? She's right you know. It's not like we're all rushing to end up there again" he said, and for the first time, Gil made sense.

Harry's inner conscience was wrestling with him, debating whether or not to join them. His conscience won out, and he placed his hand on top of Gil's, wrapping his other arm around Evie's waist. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile, placing her head on his shoulder.

Seeing that she was outnumbered now, Uma begrudgingly placed her hand on top of Harry's. All eyes now fell onto Mal and her decision.

"Mal?" Evie asked softly, gesturing to the hand pile with her eyes.

"This doesn't mean anything, I hope you all realize that. Just because we're all coming together does not mean everything is all good. Got it?"

"Mal" Evie sighed. "Don't do this for just you or us. Do this for Ben and for the others on the Isle."

Mal gave a conceded sigh, and placed her hand on top of the others, sealing their agreement.

"Mateys...we ride with the tide!" Harry shouted, making Gil practically bounce in his boots.

"Yeah, no. Try again pirate boy" Mal said.

The bedroom door cracked open more, and all heads turned towards Ben. Ben made his way over to the group, placed his hand with the others, and slung his other arm over Mal's shoulder loosely.

"It's only two days guys. If we work together, everything will work out and be fine. We're not going to fail...because we're rotten..."

The rest of the group looked at each other, silently conveying the same message. Seven voices piped up in unison.

"To the core."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **My inspiration for this chapter came from _Suicide Squad_ and how the good and bad sides joined together for a common goal or goals, even though they all hated each other. To parallel, the VKs (with Ben) along with the pirates had to put their differences aside for their goal: the children on the Isle and their survival.**

 **I will say the next chapters will include the first tourney game for Harry, Isle adventures and characters, and my favorite little story: an intimate trip for Evie and Harry down memory lane. I know a lot of you want more Harry/Evie moments so I'm bringing them in; however, I'm trying hard not to stray too far from Evie's independence that she found in the stories and movies.**


	21. Chapter 21: Tourney Matches and Limos

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone! We have reached the last chapter of part 2 of the story. Part 3 will pick up with the adventures on the Isle. Before then, enjoy this lighthearted chapter. Let me know what you guys think and I hope you all enjoy! For all new viewers and followers, welcome!**

 **A big, big shout out to Genie For Your Wish for the idea of the Evie's cheerleading outfit, even though I made it only a small part of it. If you guys haven't already, be sure to check out _Jar of Hearts_ written by Genie For Your Wish. It has multiple one-shots involving Harry and Evie and I personally love them.**

* * *

The radiant sun was flowing into the dorm room through the open-curtain windows, providing warmth and comfort to the inhabitants of it. It was a perfect day for the first tourney game of the season. Students around the school were decked out in royal blue and gold, the colors of Auradon Prep. All the team members now made it a tradition to wear their jerseys on game day, which garnered them support in the form of shoulder claps and chest bumps. The Auradon Knights were playing their fiercest and toughest rivals today: the Imperial Academy Warriors.

Evie was sitting at her desk, finishing up the last bit of her assignments for that weekend before the tourney game in half an hour. She was flying through the questions, her pencil scribbling as quickly as the sentences were pouring out of her sharp and intelligent mind. She wouldn't have any time to do them over the weekend; she had considered bringing them with her, but with her bag going to be packed with clothes, her toiletries, and her makeup collection, she had no room. Plus, she felt that she was going to be vital in diffusing the tension during the weekend. 6 people on one floor above a shop was going to be challenging.

"Hey, you almost ready to go?" Mal asked as she emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was is soft, purple ringlets and she was carrying her studded purple cropped leather jacket. Out of everyone, Mal did not wear any color for Auradon Prep. She argued that yellow washed out her already pale complexion and she left the blue color for Ben.

"Almost" she said, her concentration on the final sentence of her essay. "There, done."

She closed up her book and notebook and placed them on the corner of her desk in a neat, stacked pile. She got up and headed into her closet. A few moments later, she emerged with a cropped blue leather jacket in her hands. Auradon was becoming slightly chillier as the days crept closer to autumn. She grabbed her sunglasses and her purse, slipping the strap over her shoulder.

"Ok, we'll need to stop by Dizzy's dorm. She has no idea where to go."

Mal shrugged her shoulders. "Fine by me. Let's just hurry so we can grab good seats...hey wait a minute" she said, the corners of her lips turning up into an amused smile. "I haven't seen that shirt yet. Is that a part of the new fall collection?"

Evie looked down at her shirt: a white t-shirt with splashes and swipes of blue and gold on the sleeves and over the shirt. It was the typical Auradon Knight color scheme, except for the writing in black cursive that said 'Hooked on 7'. The back of the shirt featured Hook on the top and a giant number 7 written in the middle of it, resembling Harry's tourney jersey. While Ben was originally number seven, he gave up the number when he became King, prompting the coach to give it to Harry. It fit well with his ambition and goal of sailing the seven seas.

"Oh this old thing? I just pulled it out of the back of my closet" she said, shrugging off Mal's expression. In reality, she spent the past week making it in anticipation of Harry's first tourney game. Leave it to Evie to cheer in her own unique way.

"Uh huh. You're still a terrible liar" Mal said with a laugh. "If someone told me your mother was the Evil Queen, I would've laughed in their face."

"Well, you can blame Auradon for my transformation" Evie said, slipping her jacket on and zipping it up. Mal opened the door and they exited the dorm, locking it behind them. Mal slipped the key into the pocket of her purple leather jeans and linked her arms with Evie.

"Wonder what we'll expect in this dorm" Mal said with dry humor. Dizzy and Uma shared a dorm in Auradon, and they could not be polar opposites.

"Well, only one way to find out."

Evie knocked on the door and entered. The sight in front of them made their eyes widen in both shock and amusement.

"Wow Dizzy...you really made your mark on the dorm" Mal said, trying to take everything in.

Dizzy's side looked like a rainbow bomb went off. Her sheets and quilt were spotted with various colors, same with the small rug in front of her bed. The curtains weren't the typical gossamer pink, but replaced with white lace splashed with rainbow colors. Even the lampshade was spotted with rainbow colors. Her desk was littered with various pieces of jewelry, trinkets, and baubles of all shapes and sizes. A glue gun and a small sewing kit lay near the baubles. Her dresser and nightstand contained multiple photos solely of her and ones with Evie, Mal, and the others.

"Who knew that fabric paint could be used for so much" Dizzy said.

"Well, it certainly makes up for...that" Mal replied, waving her gloved hand in a circle in a reference to Uma's side of the dorm.

A giant turquoise banner hung on the wall that read "Ride with the Tide' and one of the giant black pirate flags from her ship hung underneath it, displaying the symbol of her and her crew. Her bed sheets and curtains were stripped of the pink gossamer fabric and replaced with turquoise and purple silk and black lace. Her nightstand had a sketch of her pirate symbol: the X of the trident and pirate sword, with the pirate skull and octopus tentacles in a black to turquoise ombre color. Her desk was cluttered with all her books and school supplies, making her side a complete mess.

Mal was looking over the dresser on Uma's side, when a picture caught her attention.

"Hey, E. Get a load of this" she called over her shoulder, not removing her gaze from the frame.

Evie ventured over to the dresser and noticed what Mal was talking about. It was a picture of Mal and Ben on the yacht in their Cotillion outfits, except that Mal's face had a giant red X through it and Ben had a pirate eye patch over his left eye. The look was completed with a unibrow and handlebar mustache.

"Yeah, Uma's not really a big fan of you two" Dizzy's small voice piped up. "Some nights, she literally paces the room, muttering your name with some delightful insults."

"Ha...with all this attention, you'd think she would have a giant crush on me" Mal said, causing the other two girls to laugh.

Evie pulled out her phone at the sound of her alarm. She powered it on and looked at the time.

"Hey guys. We better hurry if we want to get some good seats. Remember what happened last time?"

Last tourney game, Evie and Mal were left standing on the top of the stands for the entire game, even the overtime game play. Forget the idea that a prince would offer up his seat to you. When it came to tourney and even R.O.A.R., it was an "all-for-one" mentality. No one messed with tourney.

Ready for your first tourney game, Diz?" Mal asked.

"You betcha!"

* * *

Evie, Mal, and Dizzy made it the tourney field and proceeded to the stands. Both seating sides were packed full of fans waiting to see the first and highly anticipated match of the season. Cameras and announcers were everywhere, ready to capture footage of the game for TourneyCenter.

"Lady Mal!" A guard dressed head to down in blue and gold called out. Mal stopped on the stairs and turned her attention over to the guard.

"Yes?"

"We have a special place for you to watch the game. If you follow me, I'll show you where."

Mal looked back over at Evie and Dizzy, who looked slightly dejected that she had to leave them behind.

"Can they come with me?" she asked, prompting the guard to look at the other two.

"Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you Ben's Royal Adviser?" he asked, looking at Evie.

"That would be me" Evie said with a little bow.

"Of course then. You can bring the little girl as well."

"Her name is Dizzy" Mal said with a hint of anger in her voice. Dizzy had become her little sister, much like how Dizzy was Evie's little sister. She had grown tired of people calling Dizzy a "little girl", much like how they called Evie a "gold digger" and Carlos the "runt" of Auradon.

"My apologies, Lady Mal" he said, giving her a bow. "Shall we proceed?"

They followed the guard towards the back of the stands and up a staircase. The staircase was a new addition to the stands this year as Mal and Evie gave each other a confused look. The guard led them to the top and knocked on the door. A soft, male voice told them to enter, and he opened the door and stood aside, letting them in.

"Lady Mal and her friends, your majesty" the guard said, before exiting and shutting the door.

"Mal!" Ben cried, running over to her and picking her up, spinning her around and giving her a kiss. "Evie, I'm so glad you guys could come" he said, setting Mal back on her feet.

"Uncle Ben!" Dizzy cried, running full force at Ben. He picked her up and spun her around, making him and her laugh. Ben became the honorary uncle of Dizzy since Mal and Evie saw Dizzy as their little surrogate sister. It wasn't that hard to love Dizzy; her infectious mood and vibrant personality made anyone feel good, except maybe for the pirates and Chad.

"Pretty sweet gig you got up here, your majesty" Evie said, taking in the sights.

"Eh, it's the tradition of the family. All the royal members get one thing constructed and put up for them. Father had the school transformed as his wish, mother got her massive library, and I got a royal box for tourney games" he said, taking a sip of cider from the goblet he was now holding.

"Well, thank god for that, because I was not going to stand in the sun again" Mal said, stealing his goblet and taking a sip from it, causing Ben to whine.

Evie ventured over and took in the aura of the royal box. A porcelain clean bathroom was off to the side; on the other side was a line of buffet foods and drinks, all hot and tasty looking. A flat-screen TV was hanging above it, where it was currently set at TourneyCenter for the game today. A few plush, comfy looking armchairs were directed at a large, picturesque window to view the field with unobstructed views.

Evie was looking over the food when Ben appeared next to her.

"That" he said, gesturing at the food Evie was looking at. "Was made by Princess Tiana herself. Apparently, it's wildly popular at all her restaurants around Auradon. It's Cajun Beer Bread. Please, help yourself to anything."

Evie picked up a plate and grabbed a slice of bread, taking a small bite of it. An involuntary moan escaped her lips at the taste. The spices and the beer mixed in perfect harmony, causing her taste buds to celebrate and cheer at the flavor.

"That good?" Mal asked. Evie realized everyone was staring at her. She blushed and laughed, causing the others to as well.

"It might be."

Before long, everyone managed to grab a full plate of food from all the regions of Auradon. While Evie preferred the Cajun Beer Bread the most, she definitely thought that the Labneh from Agrabah was up there. With bellies full, they sat down in the plush chair, ready to watch the tourney game. Evie took off her jacket and placed it over the arm chair, smoothing down her shirt.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the start of tourney season for the Auradon Knights!" the announcer called into the microphone. The stands below them erupted into cheers, and the sounds of their feet stomping rung in their ears.

"Today promises an epic battle between the Auradon Knights and the Imperial Academy Warriors. However, before we begin, I'm told that we have royalty among us today. Please stand and direct your attention to the royal box above the stands, as King Ben and Lady Mal are in attendance today."

Hundreds of people stood up and turned to face them, all bowing. They didn't know if Ben was acknowledging them at all, but he did as he stood with Mal and gave them a wave. Evie was silently laughing to herself, as she knew no one could see them.

"Without further ado, let's get this match up underway!"

* * *

For over an hour, the two teams battled back and forth in a grueling fight. Both teams suffered heavy hits: Jay got side tackled early on in the game and got the wind knocked out of him; meanwhile, Harry got speared by a burly opponent, momentarily frightening Evie. However, her nerves were calmed slightly when she saw him get up and continue playing. He even managed to knock his offender to the ground in a small token of revenge.

The clock was ticking down, and it came to the final remaining time. Both teams were deadlocked at three points apiece. The announcer kept on calling the game, calling each play for the folks who watched the game on TV in other parts of Auradon. Well, the modernized parts of Auradon at least.

Jay scooped up the ball, calling for play number three. It came down to this play. Harry ran to the outside, with Herkie running to the other side. Jay ran straight down the middle, circling around a Warrior and passing the ball to Herkie. Herkie got control of the ball before he was unsuccessfully tackled; his own brute strength caused his Warrior opponent to fall down. Herkie passed the ball back over to Jay, who passed it over to Harry. Harry unfortunately got shoved into by an opponent's shoulder, losing control of the ball.

"Son of a bitch!" he cried.

The Warriors were working like a well-oiled machine, with each player passing the ball back and forth between the forwards. However, they tended to underestimate someone by the name of Carlos de Vil, who stuck his foot out and caused the Warrior with the ball to trip and lose his control on it. Carlos scooped up the ball and passed it back to Jay.

Jay ran down the field and had a good shot at the goal. He took his chance, but it was blocked by the goalie, causing the Auradon supporters to groan in frustration. The goalie attempted to pass the ball to his teammate, but Harry moved at lightning speed so much that the goalie could barely register the interception and the ball flying into the net, causing the Auradon supporters to cheer loudly and stomp their feet.

"And there you have it folks, the Auradon Knights have won their season opener 4-3 over the Imperial Academy Warriors, all thanks to their newcomer Harry Hook. I'm sure King Ben is impressed and thrilled with this outcome."

It was true. Ben was jumping up and down and screaming at the top of his lungs at the outcome. He was on edge most of the match, so seeing Harry get the winning goal caused him to turn into a frenzied fan.

"Nice job out there Hook" Coach Jenkins said, slapping his helmet. Harry's other teammates slapped his helmet too in congratulatory remarks.

Harry threw off his helmet and grabbed a water bottle, gulping it down to quench his thirst. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned his head to see who it was.

"Gotta say Hook" Jay said. "Didn't think you had it in you, but nice work."

Harry merely nodded his head downward, acknowledging the compliment. Inside, he felt a feeling he never had before: a sense of thrill and excitement at something other than evil Perhaps the Auradon effect was starting to change him. Or, perhaps it was his blue-haired girlfriend.

The Auradon supporters were rushing down onto the field, congratulating and hugging the team members for their victory. Harry felt extremely suffocated and was about to shout at all of them when he felt a body slam into his back and wrap their arms around him.

"Congratulations" a soft voice whispered in his ear. Harry quickly turned around and smashed their lips together in a heated kiss. His hands trailed down to her lower back, pushing her closer to him, while her hands crept up and got tangled in the hair at his neck. The need for oxygen soon outweighed them, and they reluctantly pulled apart. He looked down at her shirt and quirked an eyebrow up.

"What? Gotta support my pirate somehow, and I do not do cheerleading" Evie sarcastically replied. Harry rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop the stupid, goofy grin that was forming on his face.

"Oh my god, you guys were amazing!" Ben cried, pulling Jay and Carlos in for a bro-hug. "You guys finally did it!"

"Couldn't have done it without Harry though" Carlos said, and all eyes turned towards the pirate with guyliner.

"Nice job Harry" Ben said, extending his hand out to Harry. With a nudge from Evie, he shook hands with Ben, finally acknowledging the King in a friendly way.

"Come on. I want all of you to come up to the royal box to celebrate. We have a lot of food and drinks too."

Nobody needed to be told twice as they ran to the stairs behind the stands.

* * *

The room looked like a complete disaster area. Purple and blue leather jackets were spread out across the bed, shoes were discarded across the floor, dressers and closets were opened up, and two bags lay open on each bed. Outside, the moon was creeping into the room, indicating the time. The celebration of the tourney victory lasted well into the late afternoon hours, meaning the time to pack was even less now. A purple haired figure was shuffling through a dresser drawer, trying to find something, while a blue haired figure was crouched under the bed, trying to look for something.

Once or twice, the girl from the next room had knocked on the door and told them to be quiet, but the message fell on deaf ears. Normally at this late hour, everyone would be asleep, but not for some of Auradon Prep's residents.

"Damnit. Where the hell could it be?!" the purple haired figure said, frustrated yet again.

"Still can't find it?" Evie called out from under the bed.

"No, and I swear to god I looked everywhere for it" Mal replied, moving back to her closet to begin her search once again.

Mal was trying to find the signet ring Ben presented to her. She had a bad habit of placing things down and then immediately forgetting where they were five seconds later.

"Well, it's not under the bed" Evie sighed, taking a seat on her heels. "Where was the last place you put it?"

"If I knew where I put it, I wouldn't be looking for it, would I?" Mal shot back before a shoe flew across the room and smacked into the wall.

Normally, Evie would respond back to the sarcastic remark, but she had much bigger, important issues on her mind right now than an offhanded comment. They only had a few minutes left to pack, as Ben would be knocking on their door soon and telling them the limo was out front waiting.

"Maybe you shouldn't bring it. Someone's liable to steal it anyway. You know how they are with expensive, gold things."

Mal emerged from her closet, contemplating the idea.

"You're probably right anyway."

Evie and Mal went back to the mundane task of packing up their clothes and items. Evie attempted to get her items and clothes down to one bag, but she kept throwing in last-minute items that they could possibly need. Evie often over-analyzed things and thought of every last-minute scenario that could go wrong. Mal on the other hand managed to just get things packed into one bag.

"Hey, did you get the spray done yet?" Evie asked, taking a giant gulp of coffee from the cup on her nightstand.

"Got it right here" Mal said, holding up a cloth bag that contained the bottle. "I will say, it was nice having a little magic back in my life."

"Don't get too used to it, unless you want Ben and Fairy Godmother to go beast on you."

Both girls laughed before returning to their packing. Evie managed to zip up the bag containing her clothes and shoes, before she dumped her makeup and toiletries into the other zipping it up. She let out a sigh of relief, finally done with her packing.

"Finally finished."

"Great, now get over…here and help…me with…this bitch" Mal grunted out, struggling to zip and shut her bag at the same time.

Evie laughed at the scene and went over to Mal's bed, holding the bag closed while Mal zipped it up. She finally managed to zip it closed, causing her to exhale in relief.

"Thank god that's over."

Someone knocked on the door and Ben entered, wearing his Isle clothes, absent of the beanie on his head. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. He was used to seeing Evie's side of the room a tad messy, but the entire room looked like a disaster site.

"You know we're only staying two days right?"

"Hey, blame Evie. She's the one that had to pack half her closet" Mal said, giving Ben a kiss. "Did I ever tell you how much I love seeing you in your VK clothes?" she said, her voice low and slightly filled with lust.

"Maybe once or twice" Ben said flirtatiously, rubbing his nose with hers before pulling her close and giving her a kiss. Mal softly melted into it, and Ben placed his hands on either side of her face, deepening it.

"Ok, someone is still present in the room guys" Evie said, covering her eyes with her red gloved hands.

Both of them went bright red, embarrassed at being caught in their present state. If Ben's father heard about this, it would be the most embarrassing joke of all time, and he would never hear the end of it.

"Give us five minutes and we'll be downstairs" Mal said, giving Ben a peck on the cheek. He bid his goodbye and left the dorm, shutting the door behind him.

Mal was fidgeting with all the belts and chains around her waist, clasping each one so they rested comfortably, yet tight at her hips and purple leather jeans. Evie was slipping on her heart necklace and tiara, adding the final touches on their outfits. She smoothed down her leather skirt and looked over her reflection in the floor-length mirror.

"Feels good to be back in these babies" Mal said, shrugging on her cropped purple jacket over her green and purple t-shirt with her dragon symbols.

Evie shrugged her blue leather jacket over her shredded heart shirt and pulled on her blacked heeled boots. She grabbed her heart purse and slipped the strap around her neck so it rested against her body. She didn't need anyone stealing it off her shoulder.

"Ready to go?" Mal asked, holding her bag and door open.

Evie picked up both of her bags and gave the room a final glance to see if anything was missing. "Nope, nothing left" she said as she shook her head.

Mal flipped the light switch off, and both girls exited the dorm, shutting the door behind them. The corridor was silent and empty tonight, which made their journey much more moody and depressing.

"Hey, you feeling ok?" Mal asked as she glanced over at Evie, who had a small look of despair and anxiety on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a lot on my mind lately."

"What about?"

Both girls reached the staircase and headed down to the entrance hall. They proceeded outside and turned the corner to where the limo would be waiting for them along with everyone else.

"I don't know what it is, but I just have this weird feeling that something bad is happening on the Isle, and once we get there, the plan or whatever it is will be finished."

"Uh, E. We grew up on the Isle. Someone is always cooking something bad there. And it's not just the food."

Evie gave a small laugh at the dry humor. Leave it to Mal to try and make going to the Isle seem like a dream vacation.

"I know, but I just feel like this is something bigger that involves us somehow. It's like if some magical force is bringing us to the Isle. Maybe it's my nerves getting to me, I don't know."

Both girls fell silent as they made their way to the limo. The only sound was their heels against the concrete. Occasionally, an owl would hoot or a cricket would buzz, hidden by the dark shadows of nightfall. The streetlamps guided their way, giving them light and small symbol of hope in this dark moment.

"Whatever it is, we'll get through it, like we always have. You don't face a giant earthquake and not take a lesson or two from it" Mal said as they finally made it to the limo.

Ben and Jay were loading bags into the trunk, while Carlos was adjusting the mirrors, getting them set to his preference. Uma and Harry were off to the side having a conversation with Gil. Harry gave Evie was small smile that was laced with nerves, which she returned.

"Ok, everyone is finally here. The magic mirror is set, Mal has the spray, and Carlos has the limo all ready to go for us."

Everyone looked around at each other, hoping someone would raise doubts about this trip, but they never came. Their silence confirmed they were ready to embark on this potentially dangerous journey to where it all started for them. Jay shut the limo's trunk, and everyone piled into the limo. Mal and Ben sat together near the front, while Jay and Uma sat in the middle seats opposite the candy and sweets. Harry and Evie curled up together in the back seats, Evie's head on his shoulder looking down at the carpeted floor; his arm around her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

Gil shut the back passenger doors and took his seat in the passenger's side. Carlos started up the engine, and soon the black, sleek limo was pulling out into the streets of Auradon, racing off into the night.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **A** **s much as this is my story, I would love to hear some of your suggestions of things that you guys want to see in the story. Drop me a message or leave your suggestion in a review. Let me know what you think Evie is foreshadowing in this chapter.**

 **Some Review Responses (I may do more of these in the future if you guys enjoy them)**

 **OceanBlueSeaEyes: Thank you so much! I'm glad you loved the chapter. It was probably one of my favorites to write so far behind their date, mostly because I got to write and experiment with the emotional ranges of all the characters.**

 **Escapista15: So glad you love the story and made you blush. I'm glad you love the dynamic between Harry and Evie. Their dichotomy drew me to them and pair them up.**

 **StoryWriting1414: I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. I do try to update regularly for you guys. A lot of the story is already planned out, so it does make it easier to upload regularly.**

 **Fastgirl01: Thank you for your kind words and support. It always makes me smile that other people find joy and happiness reading my story. It's all possible through you guys.**

 **Genie For Your Wish: Thank you so much for your reviews and kind words. I love your one-shots and love reading them! Truth be told, you were one of the inspirations for me to start this story, so thank you for your work.**


	22. Chapter 22: Back to the Isle Again

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone. Welcome to the start of part 3. For all the new followers and visitors, welcome to my story! Let me know what you all think!**

 **Synopsis of part 3:**

 _Ben and the others made it to the Isle of the Lost, where the VKs return to their evil roots, hoping to survive the weekend. However, when Ben's plan goes horribly wrong, it leaves Evie in a precarious situation. Will the group manage to work together for the sake of Evie, or will their pride be their downfall?_

* * *

The limo swayed and shook as it drove through the lamp-lighted streets of Auradon, occasionally running over a spare twig or an oversized pebble. A few times, the light from a streetlamp would pierce through the windows and cast a beam on the individuals inside it for a few, brief seconds. The streets were completely deserted at this time of night, as most of the residents were tucked into their warm beds, oblivious to the world outside their homes. The stars were the only ones that were out, guiding the limo on its journey to its devilish destination.

While the outside of Auradon was peaceful and quiet, the inside of the limo was filled with nerves and anxiety. Mal was fidgeting and twisting her emerald ring around her right index finger, Uma was picking at the split ends of her turquoise braids, Harry was tapping his foot quite aggressively, and Evie was staring out of the window, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. In only a few minutes, they would be dropped off and left on the Isle of the Lost for forty-eight hours, unaware of the evil and terror that awaited them there.

Evie stared out of the window, watching the world go by her. No matter how hard she tried to shake off her gut feeling about the Isle, she just couldn't. She thought about opening the door and tucking and rolling out of it, but she felt that would be more dangerous to her than the Isle. At least she had experience there; she had no idea how to escape a moving vehicle. With a conceded sigh, she tore her gaze away from the window and grabbed a blue rock candy, mirroring her first day traveling to Auradon. Only this time, she was leaving it behind, but the feeling was still the same: nerves, excitement, thrill, and anxiety all wrapped up in a juicy red apple. She bit into the candy and made a crunch sound, causing everyone to look over at her.

"What?" she asked, pulling the candy out of her mouth.

"Nothing…it's just…" Jay trailed off, looking over to Mal for backup.

"It's just what? Someone tell me for apples' sake" she said, popping it back into her mouth.

"It's just…you hardly ever eat anything before big, nervous events. Why the change of heart?" Mal asked.

Evie shrugged her shoulders and pulled the candy out. "It's the last time we're going to eat Auradon food for a while; might as well make the most of it."

Five sets of eyes all looked at each other before the five sets of hands attached to those eyes reached out to grab anything they could. Jars of single candy pieces were dumped over, bottles of sodas and fruit water were flying off the shelves, and crumbs were scattered all over the carpet. Everyone was now enjoying the sweet and tasty candy as it would soon turn into slop and rot.

"Great…look at this mess" Evie sighed, bending down to pick up some of the discarded candy pieces.

"Don't worry about it. I have people who clean the limo out after every use" Ben said, swallowing a fruit-flavored gum drop.

"I know but still, we could at least help them."

"E, you're forgetting where we are going. You need to leave it alone; we never cleaned up our messes on the Isle. Truth be told, I fully expect my house to still be ransacked and destroyed" Mal said, putting a piece of gum in her mouth.

The limo made its way to the edge of the coastline at the southern bay point. The southern bay point contained the invisible bridge that would appear at the push of a button. Carlos steered the limo onto the street, where Gil pressed the button, and the golden bridge started to appear and take shape. Through the fog, they could see the lights of the Isle shining through. It seemed fitting in that moment: it symbolized the hope Ben had with this disgusting and run-down island. He just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him.

"Home sweet home" Uma said with forced cheer and an eye roll to match it.

The limo glided over the bridge, pulling them closer to the Isle. Once off the bridge, Gil pushed the button again, and the bridge connecting them to the mainland disappeared. Carlos pulled off to a side street covered in gravel, where he parked the limo and killed the engine. Four sets of doors opened up, and all the leather-clad inhabitants exited the limo, taking in the sights before them as best they could; the fog and darkness obstructed their views.

"Still has that faint smell I see" Harry said, taking sniffs and inhales of the air around them. It smelled like a combination of garbage, toads, and goblin odor. Even a year ago when Carlos pointed it out, the smell still lingered around.

Carlos unlocked the trunk and proceeded to unload the luggage along with Gil. Mal and the others gathered around in a circle, ready to discuss their next course of action.

"Ok, listen up" she said, making eye contact with everyone. "Ben and the guys will take the luggage to the castle. You legitimately cannot miss it. It's on the second floor above the used robes and hats shop."

"Got it" Ben and Jay said together, heading over to grab the bags.

"Uma and Harry, head down to Goblin Wharf and the docks and grab the pirate swords for us and bring them here. Try not to talk to anyone."

Uma gave Mal an "are you serious look", upset that she had to take orders from her archenemy. The thing is, Mal knew the main part of the Isle like she knew the back of her hand, whereas Uma rarely strayed far from the docks. With a conceded look, she and Harry proceeded down the main road and turned off on Unfortunate Avenue, which would take them in the direction of Goblin Wharf.

"Come on, E. Let's go to the Slop Shop and grab some food."

"Be safe girls" Ben called out, to which Mal and Evie nodded their heads and headed down the main drag, the sound of their heels echoing off the buildings.

The fruit and food vendors were shut up for the night, while the main shops were still doing brisk business, all except Curl Up and Dye, which didn't open until midnight. The Slop Shop had people going in and out of it, while Frollo's Creperie had very few patrons lingering around. While businesses were booming, the rest of the Isle looked run down and abandoned. Barrels splattered with Mal's chipped paint graffiti lined the streets, and clotheslines were running zigzag about them, connecting to a building opposite it. Small, trash-lit fires were scattered here and there, where small, homeless children gathered around, trying to get warmth from the cold. Evie's heart sunk at the sight and realized how lucky she had it on the Isle. She may not have had the best time, but at least she had a home and a bed to sleep in at night.

They made their way to the Queen of Hearts Salon and took in the sight. Out of all the buildings, it looked the most kept. Her salon was decked out in her signature colors: red, black, white, and gold. Her shop's name was scrawled out in black and red cursive against a white backdrop, flanked by two, glittery red hearts. Normally, red lace curtains would be covering the windows, but tonight they were pulled back by a gold cord, allowing the occupants to see out into the streets. A figure in the window caught Mal's attention, and she went over to investigate.

"Mal!" Evie hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard her, before jogging to catch up with her.

"Oh relax. They're bound to see us anyway in the next few hours" she said, as she cupped her hand to peer into the salon.

A pale figure with red gloves and black and white hair sat in a ripped, black-cushioned chair opposite a broken mirror, reading an old issue of a fashion magazine that had Evie's face on the cover. Cruella de Vil was getting her hair done as she visited this salon quite frequently. The plump Queen herself made it into the view, picking up a brush and running it through Cruella's locks and cross-checking her work. Cruella must have said something funny, because the Queen was throwing her head back in forced laughter. Whether it was for a joke or for a way to get extra coins out of Cruella they didn't know.

"At least one parent is doing ok" Evie whispered in Mal's ear.

Cruella glanced over to the window and did a double take, thinking she saw a flash of blue cross the window. Mal and Evie quickly ducked down and crawled on hands and knees to the side wall, hiding in an alleyway behind a trash can, constricting their bodies as tightly as they could.

The door to the salon opened up, and Cruella emerged from the salon, her hair freshly dyed and managed. She bid the Queen a goodbye and proceeded down the main road towards the alley the girls were hiding in.

"Stupid, little brat thinking she's so much better than I am when it comes to fashion" Cruella said, her British accent cutting their ears like knives. "Makes one dress and suddenly everyone wants to wear the trash she stitches together." Evie's face hardened like stone, and she got up to go confront her but was quickly pulled back down by Mal.

They heard the magazine fly out of her hand, hitting the trash can they were hiding behind. A rat scampered out from the alleyway at the noise, causing Cruella to shriek. Mal let out a snort and recaptured Cruella's attention.

"Who's out there?" she asked, craning her neck to peer down the alley. Both girls held their breath and pulled their knees tighter into their chest, hoping to not be seen. With a satisfied attitude, Cruella pulled up her white fur coat and headed down the main road, her heel clicks becoming fainter by the second.

"Phew, that was close" Evie said, releasing the breath she held and standing up.

"Don't get too comfortable yet. We've only been out here for five minutes and almost got spotted. Let's try and make it at least one night" Mal said. They emerged from behind the trash can, brushed off the dust and dirt on their clothes, and headed back onto the main road. It wasn't long until someone spotted them and called them out.

"Well, well, well" a voice sneered from behind them. Evie and Mal cringed slightly at the tone of voice and turned around to confront the person behind the voice. Even after a year, Ginny hadn't changed much in her overall appearance, but she did have noticeable features. Her dark, frizzy hair looked even more wild and unkempt, and her gray eyes looked even colder.

"Look what Auradon threw out this time" Ginny cackled. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't particularly like blueberries or plums" she said laughing at her joke, though she was the only one who found it funny.

"Look, E. The trash must be mutated here. It can walk, talk, and make lame ass jokes. Thought someone would've thrown you into a fire to keep warm" Mal said, giving Evie a smirk. Ginny scoffed and blew off the insult like she did most of the time. It's hard to imagine that Mal and she were acquaintances at one point.

"So, what are you guys doing back again?" Ginny asked, her arms crossed and a skeptical expression gracing her face. "Get kicked out of Auradon?"

"Last time I checked, you didn't run the Isle, and I don't have to answer to you, so goodbye" Mal said, whipping her hair around and continuing down the road to the Slop Shop.

"Didn't realize being a princess meant being rude to her subjects!" Ginny called back in a sickly sweet voice. Mal turned back around to answer her, but saw Ginny walking away towards Mean Street. She wasn't one to finish a conversation that often.

From this distance, Bargain Castle loomed overhead, its medieval architecture casting an eerie and creepy aura around it. They turned to the side and took in the view of the Slop Shop next to a shop that sold old brooms that don't fly anymore.

The Slop Shop was run by Maleficent's former goblin army, who were now reduced to bringing in the supplies from the docks and serving mud-style coffee to the residents. It's hard to imagine that they and the dark fairy were at one point feared by all, but now they were reduced to common servants. Given that the shop was run by her goblins, it reflected the style of Bargain Castle. It was decked out in the same medieval architecture, with shades of black, purple, and green gracing the walls and doors. Wrought-iron chairs and tables accessorized with rust lined the outside of the shop, where a few patrons were sitting and talking before the goblins caught them and chased them away for lingering too long. The windows were covered in black lace curtains and a layer of murk and grim, blocking the view inside. Evie and Mal opened the door, making the little bell above the door jingle.

The inside looked like a medieval dungeon, with the same wrought-iron chairs and tables inside. The chandeliers and candles above it gave the place a soft glow, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The counter and kitchen were made of solid stone, with Mal's two-dragon symbol painted in the middle of it. Mal added it years ago as part of her territory claim over Uma and the other pirates. They made their way to the counter, ignoring the piercing stares and hushed whispers of customers tucking into their rotten food.

"What do you want?" a surly goblin with sallow skin and warts asked, clearly annoyed with being interrupted. Both girls looked over the menu, not shocked or surprised to see what was listed. Today's dinner choice was half-eaten chicken pieces, bruised and browned salad with shaved carrots, and dessert of mushed blueberry pudding. It wasn't much, but then again, the Slop Shop rarely had a wide selection. The girls figured this would be the leftover food from dinner a few nights ago.

"Give us 12 pieces of chicken, a large container of salad, and 6 cups of mushed blueberry pudding. Add six cups of venti black coffee to it" Mal said.

"Month-old milk?" the goblin asked her.

"Make two of them with month-old milk."

"Sure you don't want anything else? A foot rub perhaps?"

"Depends on if you want your tip" Evie snapped at the goblin. She was hurrying them along hoping to get back into the cover of Bargain Castle before they really got in trouble.

He gave the two of them a sour look before heading behind the curtain and gathering their order. They headed down to the pickup end of the counter, where Mal hopped up on it and took a seat, whereas Evie leaning her back against it. They looked around at the patrons and recognized a few of them. Yzla and Hermie Bing were off in the corner pouring over a book, while the Gaston Twins were showing off to a group of girls. The others in the shop only looked at them briefly before turning their gaze away and returning to their hushed whispers. One or two of them would subtly jerk their head or point a finger in their general direction.

"It feels really weird being back here doesn't it?" Evie whispered to Mal as she continued to stare at one of the Gaston Twins, who was lifting up a chair with a girl in it, hoping to impress her.

"Eh, just ignore them. It's not like we aren't already know here or anything."

"I know that, but remember what they called us last time? Traitors and the heroes of Auradon. And I'll bet you they want to see our heads on a silver platter."

"Order's up" the goblin said, cutting off what Mal was about to say.

He plopped the drink container and a bag of food on the counter where Mal sat earlier. Both the girls took the order and strutted out of the shop, leaving the goblin shouting profanities and threats to them as Mal gave them a "friendly" gesture. The door slammed shut and laughter filled the street. A few wandering Isle residents looked over in their direction at the sound, but didn't make much of it.

"They never learn do they?" Mal said, wiping her eyes from the tears that were building.

"Nope. Come on, let's get inside. I'm starving."

They crossed the street and headed around the castle to the back, where the staircase to Mal's home was. She pried the door open, which wasn't hard considering it was falling off its hinges, and ducked inside. They crept up the stairs and entered Maleficent's dwelling, not at all surprised at the sight before them.

The slimy contents from the empty fridge and the shelves that lined the walls were now crusted and dried on the floor. Evie stepped over a stain before placing the drink container and the bag of food on the broken-supported coffee table. Maleficent's former throne and couch were ripped and torn at the seams, foam and filling flowing and sticking out of them. The couch was practically sunk to the floor, the springs completely busted and broken.

The girls headed down the hallway and saw the bathroom completely ransacked as well. Mal didn't understand why: they didn't have the beauty products that the Evil Queen or Cruella de Vil had. Mal had very little in terms of beauty products, and Maleficent refused to wear any at all. Makeup made one soft as she always said. The glass from the shattered mirror crunched beneath their feet as they turned and headed into the former ruler's bedroom.

Mal opened the door to her room and was met with similar destruction. The chandelier above the bed was absent of all the candles it once held, and the wrought-iron bed and gargoyles on the bed posts were collecting layers upon layers of dust. The mattress, like the couch near the door, was sunk low to the floor, and the black armoire and dresser were uneven as always. Mal pulled back the black velvet curtains and opened the French doors, and both girls headed out to the balcony.

"Still the same view" Mal said, looking out over the main road. The road was lined with wooden and stones roofs of shops and shabbily constructed homes. The ripped awnings of the food stands were pulled down and closed for the night. From their distance, they saw the sliver of light from Auradon, mirroring the view Mal and her mother shared before she left for her mission.

"Yeah, except we're on the opposite end of it now" Evie sighed, running a gloved hand through her hair. She would do anything to be back in Auradon right now, but she had to be strong Ben and for the others. It wasn't about her or her friends, but for the children she saw scattered around the trash fires and rummaging through trash cans for food.

The stairs creaked and groaned under the weight of someone or something entering.

"Mal?" Ben called out, trying to find his way through the faintly lit home. Bargain Castle relied mostly on natural lighting and the faint glow of candle light, but the candles were nowhere to be found.

"Up here!" she called back and headed into the living room to greet the others. Ben and the others placed the bags on the sinking couch. Ben turned around, taking in the view of Maleficent's home.

"It's certainly…homey" he said with forced cheer and expression, running a finger over the coffee table and rubbing the dust off it.

Mal nudged a discarded jar with her foot. "It wasn't much, but it's still my home after all" she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Ben moved over and wrapped her in a hug, which she returned.

"No, your home is in Auradon now with me and your friends. All of this" he said, moving his hand around to gesture the space. "is just some stupid building now."

Evie tried hard to not cry at the sentiment and touching moment between them. It paralleled much with what Harry said to Evie the other day. Harry just wanted to be wherever Evie was, whether it was in Auradon or on the Isle, but preferably Auradon.

"Did I ever say I love you? Because I do" Mal said, rubbing her nose with his.

"Maybe once or twice…"

The stairs creaked and groaned under the heavy weight of pirate boots, and soon Harry and Uma emerged from them, carrying the pirate swords. Uma looked absolutely pissed and Harry's face was hard to read. Harry placed the swords down and leaned back against a wall, crossing his arms. Uma shoved the bags off the couch, making them land with a loud thud. The dust layer that covered the floor flew up at the contact.

"What happened with you two?" Gil asked.

Uma refused to look at anyone and kept her stone-cold gaze ahead. Harry swallowed, unsure of how to say the next part.

"It was the only thing I had…" she muttered. She sounded like she wanted to cry, but she didn't know how to. Crying was the ultimate sign of weakness, and Uma was not one to be weak.

"What happened at the docks?" Evie asked Harry, gently running her hand up and down his sleeved arm.

He let out a heavy exhale. "It's the ship. It's completely trashed."

"Trashed? How so?"

"IT'S COMPLETELY DESTROYED YOU BLUEBERRY-LOOKING BITCH!"

"HEY! WATCH IT!" Mal yelled at Uma. Uma threw her hands up in anger and stalked off into Maleficent's room, slamming the door shut behind her, causing more dust to fly into the air.

"Don't mind her. She's just really upset right now" Harry sighed, taking off his pirate hat and running a hand through his hair, making a strand fall down his forehead.

"What did she mean by destroyed?" Carlos asked. "Like a few holes?"

"Ha…if ye can call it that. All the flags are ripped, the wooden pole and crow's nest are knocked over, the deck is covered in holes and paint saying 'traitor', and all of our rooms are ransacked and destroyed. It was already destroyed after our journey tae the trident, but this makes it practically useless as a place tae sleep."

So, it was true. The pirates didn't take too kindly to Uma and Harry leaving them, and thought the best way to get revenge was to destroy the ship Uma won in a contest. Evie wondered why they would destroy the ship considering they slept there, so now they had no idea where they were living. They could be living in cardboard boxes on the docks for all they know.

"Guess none of us is popular here still" Jay said. "By chance, did you guys run into anyone?"

Harry shook his head. "Naww, pirates like tae stay inside at night and drink booze and alcohol."

"What about you guys?" Carlos asked Evie and Mal.

"We saw your mother at the Queen of Hearts' Salon. She almost caught us, but we managed to hide long enough from her. We ran into Ginny, but Mal promptly blew her off."

Carlos paled at the thought of his mother being so close to the group. If he could avoid it, he would never see his mother again for as long as he lived. Even having Ginny spot them could lead to problems, as Ginny was wildly insane and unhinged at times. Ginny was also a terrible gossip, and they couldn't afford to have their cover blown the very first night. Their whole trip would fall under in a split second.

"You guys better get back to Auradon" Ben said after a period of silence. "Someone's liable to steal the limo and the remote, and then we would all be in trouble."

Carlos and Gil nodded their heads and stood up. Carlos gave Evie and Mal a hug each and gave Ben and Jay their signature bro-handshakes they learned on the tourney field. Gil clapped Harry on the shoulder, giving him a knowing look. In a weird, rare moment, Gil and Harry hugged it out. They may banter back and forth, but they were still friends, with some even calling them brothers.

"Good luck you guys" Carlos said, before he and Gil crept down the stairs and off into the darkness of the Isle.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I did get quite a few suggestions about what you guys wanted to see. Most of them did involve the VK's parents, which I was already going to add to the story. One of the plot lines I hope to see in _Descendants 3_ or _Descendants 4_ if they go that route was a battle between the parents and the VKs as I think that would be incredibly epic. P.S.: A lot of the buildings on the Isle were not well described in the books besides the four main VKs homes and the pirate ship, so the descriptions have been done to best reflect the information given in the book and how I personally would picture them.**

 **I have a rough spoiler for Chapter 23 below.**

 _Harry rolled his eyes at her statement._

 _"But what really drew me to you was how much of a mystery you were."_

 _"A mystery am I? Did you figure me out yet?" he said, giving her another sly smile._

 _"Maybe" she said as she pressed her lips to his. His hands trailed up to cup her face as he deepened the kiss. Evie softly moaned into his mouth, causing Harry to smirk. He was going to deepen the kiss when a voice pierced the silence._

 _"Master Harry?"_


	23. Chapter 23: A Trip Down Memory Lane

**A/N**

 **Welcome back to the story. For all the new followers, favoriters, and visitors, I welcome you and thank you for your constant support. This is another Hevie-heavy chapter as it's been a while since it was the two of them. It doesn't start off that way, but the chapter transitions into it.**

* * *

"So, what did you girls manage to scrap together for food?" Jay asked as he opened the bag and laid out the containers of food.

The five of them were crouched around the coffee table in the living room, ready to feast on the finest pickings in all of the Isle. Uma was still holed up in Maleficent's room and refused to come out, even after Harry asked. He had a feeling she would be in there the rest of the night, and maybe even the rest of the trip.

"Well, Jay. We're glad you asked. E, want to give me a hand?" Mal asked, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. Evie proceeded to do a drum roll on her crossed legs.

"Tonight, you are going to be treated to the chicken we had three days ago, finely browned salad with shaved carrot slices, and for dessert, mushed blueberry pudding!" Evie and Mal shared a high-five.

"Didn't realize that dinner came with a show" Ben said, nudging Mal with his shoulder.

"Thank you, we'll be here for the next two days."

Jay opened the box of chicken, and his formerly cheery mood was quickly replaced by disappointment and disgust. Harry scrunched up his face after opening up one of the containers of pudding, and Evie was wiping her finger off from when she stuck it in the muddy, lukewarm coffee. The only one who looked interested in the food was Ben. He took a gulp of the coffee with some milk in it before he too scrunched up his face in disgust.

"You got any cream or sugar in that bag?" he asked as he searched for anything to make the bitter taste go away.

The four others gave each other a look before bursting out in laughter. Ben gave them a confused look at their sudden mood shift.

"Cream…or sugar…that's rich" Mal said, clutching her side. She fell back and gave into her laughing fit

"What? It's a perfectly valid question" Ben whined.

"Ben, there's no cream or sugar here. Over here, cream and sugar made you soft and week. There is month-old milk in your cup, but that's about as good as it will get" Evie explained after wiping her eyes from the moisture.

Ben sighed before he took another sip. He had no other option as this was the staple drink on the Isle. He could probably find some murky water around here, but that might be even worse.

"Dammit, I forgot to get silverware" Mal said with a sigh.

"Yeah, and also any type of light" Jay seconded.

"You two are going to love me so much for this" Evie said, getting up and going over to her bag that Uma threw to the ground. She unzipped it and pulled out a few items before returning to the group. She placed a few flashlights around them and tossed Jay a cardboard box that contained plastic forks, spoons, knives, and several napkins.

"You are an absolute genius" Ben said, grabbing a fork from the box.

"Told you my over-thinking would help us."

Harry took a piece of half-eaten chicken and bit into it, hoping to keep the vomit down. Jay ate everything in front of him like it was nothing, making Evie wonder if he had any sort of gag reflex or a human stomach. Even before Auradon, Jay would eat anything and everything like it was the tastiest thing ever. Ben, however, was pushing around the salad with his fork investigating it. At one point, he could've sworn he saw a bug crawling in it. He looked up at the others and saw all of them looking at him with expectation and humor, waiting for him to take a bite.

"Told ye he'd be a whimp" Harry cracked, nudging Evie with his shoulder. She returned his gesture with a playful smile.

"Hey! I'm not a whimp. I'm just…mixing it for flavor" Ben defended.

"Alright then. Go on and eat it" Mal pushed. She had a smirk on her face that knew he was trying to stall.

He stabbed the salad with his fork and held it up high in the air in a toast.

"Cheers" he said, putting the fork in his mouth. He chewed the salad slowly, making faces to go along with it. He managed to swallow it, but not without making gagging noises. Whether it was because of how bland it was or how aged and expired was they wouldn't know.

"Oh my god, how does anyone eat this day after day and not want to vomit" he asked, trying to drown the bland taste with his coffee, but the coffee only made the bland taste turn bitter and lumpy.

"Welcome to our lives for sixteen years Ben" Evie said as she leaned back into Harry's chest and put a spoonful of pudding between her lips.

"You mean to tell me that all of you ate this for sixteen years straight?"

Everyone nodded their heads. "You have to remember, all we got from Auradon was whatever you guys threw out at the end of the day. We had to do with what we had" Mal said, taking a sip from her coffee cup.

"So, what other food did you guys have here on the Isle?"

"Well, all the options change every day at the Slop Shop depending on what came in on the barges. But we did have Frollo's Creperie, which has a very limited variety of French foods" Evie said.

"Ye have the Chip Shop, which served whatever was caught that day, and ye took whatever auld Urs' made for ye" Harry added.

"Some days, you were lucky to find fruit that was only a day old or mildly bruised" Jay said after finishing his coffee.

"Like we said, it wasn't a glamorous life. It was all about survival" Mal replied.

The room fell silent as they finished off their food, which didn't take that long. The goblins cheated them on salad and chicken pieces, which left Evie and Harry still hungry. They all wanted to make sure that Ben got the full dosage of food first before anyone else.

Once finished, Harry grabbed the last piece of chicken, the last bit of salad, and a cold cup of coffee and disappeared into Maleficent's room with the intent of giving Uma something to eat. Apparently, they went into a conversation because he didn't emerge from the room. Mal, Ben, and Evie grabbed the bags and headed in Mal's room to get them out of the way.

Her room looked the same as it did before. Similar to Maleficent's room, Mal's black wrought-iron bed and gargoyle statues were collecting layers of dust and cobwebs. Other than that, her room remained untouched and not destroyed. The purple velvet curtains still hung over her window, and her purple sheets were still tucked up somewhat neatly on her low-sinking mattress. Her dressers and wardrobe were in shades of purple and still uneven. All her various treasures that she stole from her early years were placed securely on her dresser.

"Wow, now I can see where you get your love of purple" Ben said taking in the room.

Mal chuckled. "Yeah, purple was the new black in my opinion. Once I got stuck on a color, it went on everything."

Ben wandered around, looking like the obvious tourist on vacation. He ran his fingers over the dresser and picked up an item lying on it. It was a keychain that had a small fur tail on it splashed in red, black, and white. By the color scheme, it had obviously belonged to Carlos and Cruella.

"I take it this isn't yours?" Ben said with a small laugh, showing the others the item.

"Nope. Stole that one from Cruella's home one day when we visited Carlos. I hoped to get Jay to sell it back to her, but she refused. Cheap bitch." All three of them laughed at her statement.

"I see stealing was your only form of entertainment."

Mal and Evie nodded their heads. "Pretty much. That's how Jay and I bonded. We stole from everyone and traded them between us. It wasn't that much fun because it was the same items we stole over and over again. Nothing new ever game to us."

"We did have TV channels, but it was your propaganda crap and the Dungeon Shopping Network, but they rarely had anything valuable" Evie added.

They headed back into the living room, where Jay was wandering around the shelves, looking over the discarded jars and seeing what was inside of them. Harry was sitting on the couch relaxing. Evie made her way over and sat next to him, making him throw his arm over her and pull her closer.

"I still can't believe you two are dating" Mal said, sitting down on her mother's former throne. "Especially after everything we went through."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for pirates" she said, reaching up and giving him a chaste kiss.

"Thought that princesses didn't date the rift raft as you so eloquently called them."

"Hey! A girl can change her mind. You of all people should know that" she said, jerking her head in Ben's direction. No one would have thought Mal would be dating the King, nor did they think she would be direct in line to be Queen of Auradon one day. Evie flirted with Ben the first day they were there, but she was promptly blown off by Audrey and her pettiness.

Jay yawned, which caused Mal to yawn as well. Ben took notice of this and suggested everyone should head off to bed. Since going to Auradon, they didn't stay out all night like they used to. Once in a while, they stayed up all night, but instantly regretted it the next day.

"Jay, you can take the couch. Harry and Evie can take my mom's room. Bathroom and downstairs is open for everyone to use."

With that, everyone scattered to get ready for bed, all except for Evie. Walking into Maleficent's room, she saw Uma passed out in a deep sleep on the couch, her pirate hat discarded on the floor. She quietly headed over to the French doors and opened them, walking out onto the balcony. She leaned against the stone railing, propping her head up with her right fist and letting out a sigh. From this distance she could see the shining light of Auradon. If she reached out, she could almost capture it in her palm and bring it over. But sadly, Auradon was miles away from her.

A small noise broke her out of her trance, causing her to peer over the railing at what caused the noise. She saw two children rummaging through a trashcan trying to find something to eat. They must have found something because Evie saw them having a tug-of-war battle over it. She looked over the main road and saw other similar scenes. She saw families sitting around trash-lit fires with cardboard boxes behind them serving as their shelter. Her heart broke at everything she saw, reminding her of why they were here in the first place. She had to help these children; no one deserved to be homeless and eating out of trashcans every night.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down yer hair, so that I may climb thy golden stair."

She turned her head at Harry's voice. He was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and his left leg crossed over his right. Their bags were sitting on the bed, causing the mattress to sink even lower.

"Afraid this princess doesn't have the hair for the job."

Harry chuckled and stepped out to join her. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder, staring off in the distance at Auradon. A comfortable silence fell over them as they longed to be back in their warm, comfy beds adorned with silk sheets and fluffy pillows.

"Seems like such a short time ago we were going over there. Guess things do come back full circle" Evie said with a sigh.

"I know what ye mean. But give it a few days lass. We'll be off the Isle and back in our beds before the Shite Shop gets something decent."

"Hopefully. As long as no one cuts our heads off."

Harry could feel the tension and anxiety pouring out of her as he stood there with her in his arms. He wished that he could just tuck her away and keep her safe from everything, but both of them knew their efforts would be futile. She was an Isle girl, and if she could survive the Isle for sixteen years, she could survive anything life threw at her. However, outside of Carlos, she was still fearful of their previous home.

"Ye know what ye need? A nice little walk in the dark."

"Yeah, no. I'm not walking out in the middle of night, especially here."

"Oh come on" Harry pleaded. "It always helped ye when ye were upset. Just one little walk with little auld me?"

Evie looked up into his eyes and melted into them. Harry must have picked up on her puppy-dog eye trick and now her trick was coming back to haunt her.

"Ugh…fine."

* * *

The pair exited Bargain Castle and headed up the main road hand in hand, with Harry's hook dangling off the index finger of his left hand. The road was still busy with some activity, though it wasn't as busy as it was earlier. Most of the people had gone off to find a place to sleep for the night, but some were still out and about. Curl Up and Dye had a few people going in it, which meant that it was midnight. A few people turned their heads and looked at them but immediately turned their stares and attention away once they saw who it was. Even being gone almost two weeks, Harry still had his reputation on the Isle.

"Ye still hungry?" he asked Evie.

"Meh, I could go for something. Dinner didn't fill me up completely."

They walked past the Slop Shop and past the used broom store before coming to the end of the road and Frollo's Creperie situated right at the corner of the main road and Unfortunate Avenue. The creperie was very much the quintessential Parisian café one might find in Notre Dame back in Auradon. It had a red and white striped and ripped awning that covered the door entrance with the name of the café written in elegant gold cursive. Stained, beige wicker chairs and tables were scattered outside the café, flanked by black street lamps with one or two light bulbs actually working. Harry opened the door and let Evie slip in before he followed in behind her.

The inside of the creperie was decked out in similar fashion. White wicker chairs and tables were placed around the black and white checkered tile floor, and the walls were decorated with chipped-paint murals of Notre Dame and Paris. If it wasn't for the broken chandeliers above them and the unclean furniture, it could very well pass off for a café in Auradon. One patron looked up when they walked in and quickly turned his gaze away once he saw Harry give him a cold stare and a flick of his eyes to the hook in his hand. The two of them made their way to a table by the window and sat down. A young girl with an elegant blonde bun and sharp, piercing gray eyes made her way over to them.

"Bonjour et Bienvenue. What would you two like to eat?" the girl said, pencil above her notepad. "Hey, I know you" she said, pointing at Evie with her pencil.

Evie looked up from the menu on the table to find none other than Claudine Frollo standing at their table. The last Evie knew of Claudine was that she rung the bells at the clocktower; her being a waitress must be a nighttime job she was forced into by her father.

"Oh...hello Claudine" Evie said, turning back to face her menu.

"It 'as been a while, oui? To what do we owe ze pleasure?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" Harry asked, clearly annoyed. "How about takin' our damn order."

Claudine turned her gaze to Harry and narrowed her eyes at him. "Watch your tone, pirate. We don't take too kindly to ze pirates and zeir bad tempers."

"We'll have two croissants and the expired fruit parfait, please" Evie said quickly, hoping to not cause trouble.

"Out in a moment" Claudine said. She took their menus, shot Harry a glare, and disappeared behind a red velvet curtain into the kitchen.

Evie turned and looked out the window, noticing all the people that were passing by, completely oblivious to their return. News tended to travel fast around the Isle, evident by the fact that people knew she was joining Dragon Hall before she even stepped a single heeled shoe inside of it. She hoped for their sake that Claudine and Ginny would keep their mouths shut about them.

"Ye know" Harry said, breaking Evie out of her trance. "This reminds me of our first date, except it was at the Shite Shop."

"Ah yes. Nothing says romance and elegance quite like expired banana pudding and stale hot cakes" she said, sarcasm dripping from her red-painted lips.

"Hey" he said with mock offense. "I did the best I could."

Evie gave him a sigh and ran her hand through her hair. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling like myself tonight."

"Something wrong?"

Evie opened her mouth to respond, but Claudine returned at that moment with their order. She dropped the paper plates in front of them and dropped the bowl of fruit parfait in front of them as well. She gave them a curt "enjoy" before turning back to clean up a table just abandoned.

"It's just, we got here and I saw all the children sitting around trash-lit fires, struggling to stay warm. It's just not fair to them. We didn't ask to choose this life and yet, we're stuck here because of a decree made twenty years ago."

"I know what ye mean. At least we had places tae sleep at night" Harry replied, taking a large bite out of his croissant.

"I just hope this works out for us because if not, they'll be stuck here with no hope."

Evie tucked into her croissant, while Harry managed to finish his. It wasn't much, but it gave them more food for their stomachs. At least they could sleep on a full stomach.

"Did ye ever think of me when ye went tae Auradon?" Harry asked her. Evie placed her last piece down before wiping her mouth with the sole napkin provided to them.

"I did actually. The first few days we were there and a little more once Ben decided to invite you over. You kind of slipped my mind with how busy I got with my fashion line. Plus, you kind of stole my friend so there's that."

Harry chuckled. "Yer never going to let me live that one down, are ye?"

"Nope" she replied, popping the last piece of croissant in her mouth before picking up a spoon and digging into the bowl of fruit.

"But I did remember ye telling me ye wanted tae do something with fashion at Auradon."

"Well, it was one of my goals. I didn't think I would be in Auradon at all, and I was damn sure that I wouldn't be popular when I made Mal's dress, but I'll take what I can get."

Harry picked up his spoon and dug into the bowl with Evie. She gave up after three bites of the fruit, citing the mushy taste as a turnoff. Harry shrugged and finished off the parfait for her.

"What about you? Still have that goal of sailing the seven seas?" Evie asked.

Harry nodded his head and placed the spoon in the bowl. "It's gonna happen. Ye wait and see."

Evie rolled her eyes, but her expression was neutralized by the smile on her face.

"Good luck with that happening. Doubt there will be any pirate ships in Auradon."

"There will be, and if not, I'll build one ma'self."

"Why are you so obsessed with sailing the seas? Isn't just living in Auradon and being able to go to Neverland enough?"

Harry turned quiet at her question. He ran his fingernail up and down his hook, producing a scratching sound. Evie recognized his mood shift and knew she said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry..." she started before Harry cut her off.

"Naww, it's not that. It's just, I want tae make ma' dad proud, ye know? He got tae go to Neverland and do all this amazing stuff and I got tae do nothing."

Evie finally understood why Harry was obsessed with sailing the seas and being a captain. He wanted to please his father and prove that he wasn't a complete failure and disappointment. Harry might have told her that he didn't matter, but deep down, all the opinions and feelings of pride from their parents were what all the villain children strive for.

"Well, you were the first one to get to go to Auradon" she pointed out. It technically was true since Auradon was formed twenty-one years ago.

"Ha, like that means anything..."

"I'll tell you something Ben told us when we were in Auradon the first time. He told us that we didn't have to be like our parents. We get to choose our own path in life, regardless of what they may think."

"Smart king ye got there..."

"Yeah, he does have a thought or two up in that brain of his" Evie chuckled. "But look at what we're doing here. You have a chance to make history and make a better future for the Isle. No one else will be able to say that but us."

"Speakin' of the whelps, does anyone get tae come?" he asked with a slight nervous edge in his voice.

Evie quirked up an eyebrow at the tone in his voice. Harry wasn't one to get nervous often. "I mean, we have a list, but is there someone specific you had in mind?"

Harry swallowed hard. "I promise Harriet and CJ that I would do anything tae get them over to Auradon. I don't want them tae be stuck here. They don't deserve it."

He couldn't tell, but Evie's heart softened at his statement. He may be cold and distant to others, but he truly did care about his sisters. His heart was in the right place, but it wasn't that often.

"If they mean that much to you, I'll make sure they are on the next limo ride over to Auradon. And if it also means that much to you, I'll make sure your dream of sailing the seas happens. It may be twenty years from now, but it'll happen."

"Did I ever tell ye that I love ye?" he said, his voice filled with love and admiration for her.

"Maybe once or twice, but she still loves you" she said flirtatiously, giving him a wink. "But if you really love me, you'll pay for this meal."

"Oh don't worry" he said pulling some rusty coins out of his pocket. "Already planned on it."

"Where did you get those?" she asked as she pulled on her jacket and stood up.

"Oh, I nicked them from yer purse earlier when ye weren't looking" he said, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Dammit Harry" she sighed, but the smile on her face showed she wasn't upset at all. Harry couldn't do anything but laugh at her.

"Still a villain after all."

They exited the creperie and headed down Unfortunate Avenue, before cutting across Dreadful Boulevard and turning onto Pain Lane. The streets down here were filled with nothing but potholes and dimly-lit street lamps. The weather turned colder and slightly drafty causing Evie to zip her jacket fully up. Soon, the soft lull of waves hitting the docks pierced their ears, and they made their ways down to Goblin Wharf and the docks. The docks were oddly quiet tonight, but the Chip Shop and the Isle Tavern were alive with excitement. Harry wasn't kidding when he said the pirates like to drink at night, and tonight was no exception. They made their way onto the docks and leaned against the railing, the dimly-lit lamps on the railing illuminating their faces.

"This also reminds me of when I first saw ye."

"Oh? And what was that first impression?" Evie asked, flipping her hair out her face.

"I thought that ye were incredibly beautiful and wickedly smart. But ye were also devious and flirty."

"Well, you were right to have that impression. But what made you want to become my friend and boyfriend?"

"I guess ye were the only one who understood me fully. Ye saw through ma' exterior and understood the real me."

"You do have a heart down in there Harry. You just don't want to show it."

Harry chuckled and moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist comfortably and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What was yer first impression of me?" he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver.

"I thought you were incredibly easy on the eyes and had good style for a pirate. I was also really impressed to meet the only other person who could do eyeliner as well as I could" she said, turning around in his arms and wrapping hers around his neck. Harry rolled his eyes at her statement, but couldn't stop another goofy grin from forming on his face.

"But what really drew me to you was how much of a mystery you were. You were distant and kept to yourself a lot, like how it was when I first met Mal."

"A mystery am I?" he said, quirking up an eyebrow and giving her a sly grin. "Did ye figure me out yet?"

"Maybe" she said as she pressed her lips to his.

His hands trailed up to cup her face as he deepened the kiss. Evie moaned softly into his mouth, causing Harry to smirk against her lips and slip his tongue between her lips. He was going to take the kiss farther when a baritone voice pierced the silence and interrupted their intimate moment.

"Harry?"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So who do you guys think the voice belongs to who and what do you think is going to happen? Let me know and I'll see you guys next time!**


	24. Chapter 24: Family Reunions

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone. Welcome to Chapter 24. This chapter was inspired by StoryWriting1414, another writer I like, so be sure to check out their works as well. The next chapter is going to contain a major shocker, so be sure to stick around.**

 **For all of you who do celebrate it around the world, I wish you all a joyous Hanukkah that is filled with blessings, prosperity, love, and peace!**

* * *

Harry and Evie pulled apart at the sound of the deep voice. It wasn't one to give them a fright or cause them to stiffen in fear, but it was one to be cautious about. They both stood there waiting for the person to appear out of the shadows and reveal himself. The soft lull of waves lapping and striking the dock supports masked his footsteps.

"Master Harry is that really ye?" the figure asked, moving closer to them. Harry soon recognized it as one of his dad's crew members: Maurice Smithe.

Evie had only met him once before when Harry introduced her to his father's crew during their first and only meeting together. Even after that time, his appearance didn't change that much. He was a bald, fat man with thick, black eyebrows and a gold tooth. He had a thick, black mustache, two golden-hoop earrings, and he wore a purple shirt with a red sash and gray patched pants. His outfit looked much duller and unkempt than before, but Evie placed the blame on how everything on the Isle eventually became dirty and unclean.

"Oh Master Harry, it really is ye! I thought ma' mind was goin' cookoo earlier when I saw ye" he said, slapping Harry on the shoulder. _So much for not being spotted._ Evie shot Harry a glare, but he didn't return it. Instead, he kept his gaze downward at one of the planks of the dock.

"Evie, ye remember Maurice, one of ma' dad's crew" Harry said, extending a hand out in a gesture to the man standing in front of him, still not bothering to look up.

"Ah yes, miss Evie. Always a delight tae see ye" Maurice said, taking her hand and giving her a bow. The first time it happened, Evie was charmed at how well-mannered and polite Captain Hook's crew was, but this time, a sour note struck inside of her.

"Pleasure" she said before wiping her hand on her black, tattooed leggings. Even though her hand was somewhat protected by her glove, she still felt the grime and oil that Maurice passed along to her.

"What are ye doin' back..." Maurice said before the doors to the nearby Tavern opened up with a clatter and two more figures popped out. One was flung to the ground while the other towered over it.

"IF I CATCH YE DOIN' THAT ONE MORE TIME, I'LL THROW YE OVERBOARD LIKE THE LAST ONE!" the figure shouted. At that voice, both Harry and Evie froze and paled. This was a voice they knew all too well. The figure on the ground quickly scrambled to their feet and scampered off down the road, while the other figure was strutting towards their place on the dock. Before long, those footsteps were stopped in front of them.

"Well, well, well" the figure drawled. "Bless ma' soul. Ma' son has come back tae the Isle."

Harry continued to keep his gaze downward at the plank of wood, while Evie slowly turned her head and gaze at the figure. She tried to appear confident by faking her signature pose, but she was screaming on the inside. This was the most infamous pirate in all of Auradon and the Isle. He was so incredibly famous that an entire section in their History of Woodsmen and Pirates class was dedicated simply to him. The man you may ask? Captain James Hook.

Evie could remember the first time she met him. He had an aura and a façade around him that masked his true, hidden feelings for her. While he was initially delighted to meet her and was proud that Harry managed to "catch" someone as beautiful as she was, his first impression quickly turned sour at her lack of risk taking. She was too prim and proper for his liking, and he felt that Harry deserved someone that matched his happy-go-lucky approach to life and wasn't afraid to get dirty. He often thought that Uma and Harry would be the ideal match, as many other pirates did.

James was illuminated by the dully-lit lamps on the railing of the dock, but his appearance was still the same as ever. He still wore the red tailcoat adorned with gold trim. The rose-red pants and the white stockings with the black shoes were all still present. His hook was there in lieu of his left hand, and his red pirate hat with the lavender feather sat atop his head. If it wasn't for Harry's lack of long, black hair and facial hair, he could be the spitting image of his father, but Evie thought that would be an insult to Harry's attractiveness.

"Maurice" James said, placing his hand on his shoulder, not tearing his gaze away from Harry and Evie. "Tell Smee tae get the shop ready with some snacks and drinks. I have a feelin' me and ma' son are gonna have a nice, long chat."

* * *

Evie and Harry followed behind Captain Hook as he ventured down the street adjacent to the dock. On the inside, the shops and Tavern were alight with activity from pirates looking to drown their sorrows in cheap booze and alcohol. Evie and Harry kept sneaking each other nervous glances as they passed by barrels and walls covered in Uma's pirate symbol, which marked her claim on the docks as pirate territory. Coming to the end of the road, they stopped in front of Captain Hook's store: Hook's Inlet and Shack. Evie wondered why they went to the store and not his ship since Captain Hook lived there, but she didn't dare voice her curiosity at this moment in time.

The design was quite ordinary and blended well with the other pirate-theme buildings along the docks. It was constructed entirely out of wood with large porthole windows covered in grim lining the walls. The store was flanked by crates and empty barrels with hook designs on them. Above the shop was the name scrawled out in fancy calligraphy flanked by two silver hooks with a fish hanging off each one. They entered the shop, making the bell jingle, and headed towards the back of the shop, where a small sitting area was constructed.

Captain Hook's first mate, Mr. Smee, was busy placing plates of fried clams on the lopsided coffee table, while Captain Hook removed his hat and placed it on a short hat stand in the corner. The room was adorned with two large maps of Neverland and Auradon. A black pirate flag hung from the ceiling behind his chair, covering the only window in the room. Evie and Harry took a seat opposite him on a stained velvet couch, keeping a safe but comfortable distance from each other. Smee placed some cups of murky water on the table and exited out the front.

"So, tae what do I owe the pleasure of ma' son's visit?" James asked, taking a swig of the murky water. From the tone of his voice, Harry could tell his father was one or two drinks away from being completely inebriated and drunk. It was just another reason why Harry kept his distance from his father as him being drunk led to violent confrontations. One time, Harry received a lovely punishment from his father who didn't even remember doing it the next morning.

"Can't we just come back tae see ye?" Harry replied, finally acknowledging his father and the situation they were in. They couldn't give the details of their plan away or else something bad would happen.

"Naww, isn't that sweet. And I see ye didn't come alone" he replied, turning his focus over to Evie. "Pleasure tae see ye again miss Evie" he said, giving her a coquettish grin that made her uneasy. On Harry she found it charming; on him it was just creepy.

"Wish I could say the same" she said, reaching out a gloved hand to take a fried clam. After a close inspection of it, she promptly placed it back on the plate and wiped her fingers off on the couch.

"I thought Maurice was lyin' earlier when he said he saw ye and that Uma girl wandering around her ship. Ye know, because ye lost to her and didn't win the ship."

 _Wow, right out of the gates_ Evie thought. Of course, Harry was used to the condescending remarks from his father, but they always made Evie uncomfortable.

"So, did Auradon let ye come back here or did ye two sneak off?" he asked, taking the fried clam that Evie put back earlier.

"We're allowed to come back here any time we please" Evie snapped at him, her voice cracking a bit out of nervousness.

James held his hands up in surrender, taken aback by Evie's quick remark. Evie was always polite and proper to him, but she was starting to get annoyed. They needed to escape as quickly as they could, but that opportunity wasn't presenting itself to them.

"She's quite a pistol, ain't she Harry? Hope ye can handle her, although last I heard, ye couldn't" he said, laughing to himself.

Harry didn't answer him, but kept his gaze on the flag hung behind his father's chair. Evie quickly slapped his leg in an effort to have some backup. She wasn't used to dealing with pirates on a daily basis, but right now, Harry was forcing her to. Her gesture didn't go unnoticed, as Captain Hook's lips curled up into a devious smile, showing off his yellowed teeth.

"Still second tae a girl, are ye? Gotta have someone else tell ye what tae do?" he asked with a laugh again. "Still a first mate in Auradon, I see."

Evie's face started to turn into a stone-cold expression at his remarks. She was getting quite fed up with his condescending attitude towards Harry. Harry may sit there and take it, but she wasn't going to sit there and take it. Meanwhile, Harry turned his gaze over to his father, but his expression was still entirely blank. In situations like this, he was always hard to judge.

"And yet, when you were in charge, you had a chronic fear of crocodiles" Evie snapped back. Captain Hook's eyes widened in surprise before his grin appeared on his face again.

"Best get yer girl in line Harry or else ye may be known as the failure of Auradon at this point" he replied, throwing her a sly wink. Evie could've vomited at that moment.

"Aha. Guess the two of you do have something in common. At least he failed to a teenager. You of all people got foiled by a kid. Tell me: does all of your crew know how you lost to a kid?" Evie replied, a hint of a smirk playing on both her and Harry's lips.

With that, Captain Hook's expression started to falter, and he started to turn cold and hard towards Evie. He certainly did not expect her to respond back to him like this. The Evil Queen certainly raised her to have manners to everyone, but her expression showed they were quite similar. Both could easily disguise their true intentions through coquettish smiles and fake charm and no one would give a second look at it.

"Aye, they do but..."

"But what?" she shot back at him, getting to her feet.

"I may have lost tae auld Pan, but at least I was captain of ma' own ship and crew. Ma' own son can't even say that. At least Harriet has some potential" he muttered.

"Ah yes...the captain of a crew with nowhere tae go. Seems quite fitting if ye ask me" Harry muttered back.

"What's yer problem with yer auld man? Ye never seem tae be happy around me" he asked, though he knew the answer already.

Harry now stood up and linked his fingers with Evie's. He took a deep breath before his rant poured out.

"Ma' problem with ye? Where do I start? Ma' problem with ye is how ye keep insulting me over being a first mate. Yeah, I may be a first mate, but it don't matter anymore. And when will ye start bein' nice tae Evie? Ye've done nothing but be an arsehole tae her ever since ye met her."

Captain Hook wanted to laugh at how ridiculous Harry sounded, but he knew that Harry was being completely serious.

"Ye need a girl that can take a risk. Sorry tae say this, but Evie can't do that for ye. Ye need a girl like Uma."

"No, I don't. Evie is everything I need in ma' life. Ye, on the other hook, I don't."

"Auradon's made ye soft" James shot back, now getting to his feet. "Goodness is for weaklings like ye two."

"And the Isle's made ye a dirt bag" Harry fired back.

"Yer an ungrateful codfish, aren't ye? I give ye the best the Isle has tae offer and ye treat yer father like this." It didn't go unnoticed that his hooked-hand crept up slightly to rest by his hip.

"Why shouldn't he be upset at you? Evie fired back, finding her voice now. "You've done nothing but constantly berate him for not being your little apprentice and you constantly call him a failure. You've done nothing to support whatever he wants to do or who he dates. It's no wonder why he chose to go to Auradon over staying here with you. He is right. You're nothing but an asshole and a dirt bag."

"Why ye miserable, little..." Captain Hook said raising his hook at Evie, but Harry quickly whipped his out and clashed it with his father's, the sound of metal echoing throughout the room. It paralleled Mal's fight with her mother, both fighting to win and pull the other one into submission.

"I suggest ye forget what yer going tae say, or else I'll be hookin' ye right here." Harry said, his voice low and dangerous. He managed to use his force to push his father's hook back into his face. Captain Hook's shins hit the chair, but he refused to go down.

"Ye won't win. Ye've become soft. Ye'll lose just like how ye lost to a dragon. Ye'll never be a real pirate."

Harry now felt himself being pushed back as Captain Hook was finding his strength. Evie meanwhile looked around to find an outlet and save him. She looked around until her eyes found the gleam of silver by the counter with trinkets on it. She crept over to the barrel, grabbed the sword, and grabbed Captain Hook's pirate hat from the stand.

"Oh James" she called in a sing-song voice, holding the hat in one hand and the sword in the other. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Make one wrong move and your precious little hat gets it."

Thanks to Evie's distraction, Harry managed to muster up the strength to push his father back almost into the chair. Meanwhile, Captain Hook looked torn at what to do. If he didn't let go, his hat was going to be ripped to pieces, but if he let go, he would lose to his son and his reputation would be tanked. Evie kept standing there, raising her eyebrows and inching the sword closer to the hat. In the end, Captain Hook relented and released his hook from the tangle.

"Beat it, both of ye. And if I ever catch ye around ma' ship, it won't be pretty."

He held out his hand for his hat, but Evie and Harry gave each other a mischievous smile. Evie ran behind Captain Hook's chair and pulled the pirate flag down from the ceiling. She swept all the trinkets off the counter next to the flag and smashed the glass on the cabinet with the sword's handle. Harry ripped off the maps of Neverland and Auradon, overturned the coffee table, and used his hook to cut huge gashes in the velvet couch. Evie blew Captain Hook a kiss before running out the front of the store with Harry hot on her heels.

* * *

"Did ye see the look on his face when ye stole his hat?" Harry asked between gasps for air. Their laughter lasted a few good minutes, not stopping until they reached Dreadful Boulevard.

"He looked so mad. But the bastard deserves it" Evie said, swinging the hat around her finger. "Wonder what I could do with this?" she mused as she gazed at the hat. The lavender color of the feather certainly did not fit any color schemes of hers, but she probably could find a way to slip it onto Mal's family day dress.

She felt Harry's hand slip into hers and pull her closer to him. He gave her a kiss on her temple, and Evie felt that spot start to heat up.

"Thank ye for that. No one ever stood up tae ma' dad like that before, not even Uma."

Evie gave him a small, comforting smile. "It's what girlfriends do. Besides, you aren't everything he said."

Harry smiled back to her, but it didn't reach his eyes. While Evie may say he's not what his father said, Harry couldn't believe her. Since he was young boy, his father and his reputation had been etched into his mind and memory. He grew up hearing story after story of all the things his father had done. It was an endless, vicious cycle of "I did this" and "I did that" that Harry had no way of equaling his father's legacy. He was the son of the most famous pirate in the world, yet his small list of achievements never backed up that title.

Evie noticed his false smile and quickly came to a stop, jerking Harry back and causing him to stumble.

"You're not seriously thinking about what he said, are you?" Evie asked with a sigh. "I've told you this countless times, you don't have to compare yourself to your father."

"But what if he's..."

"But what if he's right? That's a pretty big 'if' Harry. Second, he's not right. You're not soft or weak or a 'fake pirate', whatever that means" she said, making Harry laugh softly.

They turned down onto Unfortunate Avenue, and saw the faintly lit lamps of Frollo's Creperie in the distance. The streets were almost deserted at this time of night, giving them the perfect setting for an open conversation.

"Look Harry. We're always going to have the reputation of our parents and their legacy following us wherever we go. It's the same with all the royal kids at Auradon. We're never going to be like them. God knows the mantra of finding a prince is ingrained into my brain for all of eternity. But you don't have to be like your dad to a tee. I didn't fall in love with your dad; I fell in love with Harry, the real Harry, and I think he's the best pirate ever."

Harry backed her up into a street lamp and locked their lips together, bringing his hands to cup her face tenderly. It wasn't a kiss of fervor or lust, but one of complete love and adoration. Harry wasn't kidding when he called her a breath of fresh air. Evie brought something in his life that had been lacking: the chance and opportunity for him to be his real self. He softly pulled their lips away and looked down on her as she looked up at him through her lashes. Harry allowed another stupid grin to form on his lips before giving her a dramatic sigh.

"What are ye doin' tae me princess?"

Evie bit down on her lip and gave him a flirtatious smile. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Harry chuckled. "Always going tae be a misfit and a flirt, ain't ye?"

"You know me so well" she replied, linking their hands together again.

She picked up the hat that slipped from her grasp and the two of them headed down the road. They turned off Unfortunate Avenue onto the main road, heading down to Bargain Castle. The street was completely deserted at this time, with the exception of the trash-lit fires with the people who lived around them. They made their way around the store and opened up the back door, creeping up the stairs. When they reached the top, Mal, Jay and Ben were sitting around the coffee table, albeit dressed in their pajamas. Evie figured Uma was still passed out on the couch in Maleficent's room.

"Where have you two been" Jay asked, causing Mal and Ben to look at the two new entrants.

"Off for a little chat, a croissant or two, and some exploring" Evie said, releasing their hands and brushing the hair out of her face.

Mal's eyes narrowed at the object in her hand before realization crept up on her face.

"Isn't that Captain Hook's hat?" she asked, standing up. Her movement caused Ben to slowly stand up as well, fearful of what potentially may happen.

She lifted up the hat and merely shrugged at it. "It was, but it's mine now."

"Are...you...two...INSANE!" Mal shouted, lunging to grab them, but was pulled back by Ben wrapping his arms around her waist. "YOU WENT AND SAW CAPTAIN HOOK? DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW?!"

"Oh relax, M. Captain Hook never ventures from the docks, so we'll be fine. Besides' he'll be spending quite some time cleaning up the mess we made in his shop."

"What did you two do?" Jay asked, a small grin forming.

"Oh, just some revenge. We may or may not have completely trashed it" Harry said nonchalantly, throwing Evie a wink.

Mal gave Evie a huge smile and ran over to hug her. "YES!" she shouted. "My little Evie is back!" Her joyous celebration caused everyone to laugh.

"Well, we best get some sleep. We promised Ben a tour of the Isle in the morning" Jay said, causing the group to scatter.

Evie and Harry quietly crept into Maleficent's room, where Uma was still passed out on her couch. Evie opened her bag and grabbed her pajamas and makeup remover wipes and slipped into the bathroom. Once she was done, Harry slipped in after her, while she went back out onto the balcony, where the cool night air was biting into her exposed skin. She pulled her hair up into a bun, causing the wind to bite into her now exposed neck. If she squinted really hard and had better lighting, she could see the shadow of her mother's castle in the distance. Her mother would be fast asleep this time of night, her eyes covered by a mask to ensure no light crept into her vision.

"What is it with ye and balconies" Harry said behind her. She turned her head around and her lips went dry at the sight. Harry was standing there in nothing but black pajamas pants. The years of rope climbing and sword training did a really nice job on Harry's body. He wasn't bulky like Jay, but he was definitely toned in the right places.

"Every princess has one" she said after the moisture came back to her lips and the dirty thoughts left her mind. "It's where we all go to see all the potential suitors singing our praises." She moved over to where Harry was, grabbed his hand, and guided them over to the bed. "But I think this princess already found hers." She punctuated her statement with a chaste kiss on his lips.

She pulled back the covers and slipped in, immediately sinking into the mattress. Harry followed in behind her and sunk low too.

"How in the hell does she sleep on this piece of shite?" he asked, moving and shuffling around trying to get comfortable. For the Queen of the Isle, Maleficent should've gotten the better end of the mattress deal.

"Oh get over it. At least we got a bed."

His shuffling now stopped, Harry wrapped his arm around Evie, who placed her head on his naked chest and swung her leg over his. He reached down and pulled the covers up over their bodies, shielding them from the draft inside Maleficent's room. He gave her a soft, feather-light forehead kiss, and Evie sighed into his embrace.

"I love ye ma' princess" he whispered.

"I love you too my pirate" she mumbled before drifting off into a pirate-filled dream.


	25. Chapter 25: Isle Tour

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone and welcome back to the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the shocker it contains. I personally thought it would be a natural occurrence considering the circumstances throughout the original three books and the movies, but that's just my opinion. I do have some exciting news coming up in a few chapters as it's still too early to say much about it.**

 **Happy reading and I'll see you all next time!**

* * *

 _She was lying there on the sunken mattress, her wrists and ankles bound to the four gargoyles statues on every corner of the bed frame. Harry was standing over her, a lustful look in his eye and the silver, gleaming hook in his hand. He slowly and deliberately dragged the pointed end over her exposed stomach, leaving a faint red line across it. She squirmed under the touch, making Harry smirk._

" _Had enough yet, princess?" he asked cockily, the smirk growing wider on his face._

" _Harry…please" she begged. She was tired of his constant teasing, but Harry was being relentless. She knew he would end this in his own time._

 _He leaned down next to her ear and purred "Do ye want it?" He placed his lips at the sensitive pulse point below her ear…_

Evie shot up, blinking her eyes rapidly to get rid of the image in her head. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at the dark room, finally remembering where she was. The muted, orange hue on the horizon told her that sunrise was an on-going current event. She glanced over and saw a now wide-awake Harry staring at her with a smirk on his face.

"How…how much of that did you see?" she asked, a slight blush creeping onto her face that made her thankful for the dark lighting in the room.

"Not much. Just ye squirmin' and beggin' for me tae do something."

Evie flopped back onto the bed and covered her face with her hands, trying to control her giggling fit. She certainly had dreams about Harry before, but they were never something that explicit or risqué. She eventually managed to get her giggles under control before the conversation picked up again.

"Want tae tell me about it?" Harry asked, twirling a strand of her blue locks around his finger.

"Well, it involved this bed, restraints, and your hook" she replied, the blush becoming deeper on her face.

"Hmmm, sounds like a fun time tae me" he said, reaching over and pulling her onto his body. Their lips softly met before turning into a heated make-out session.

The door to the room opened up without so much as a warning, and Mal walked in, not knowing what was behind the door.

"OH MY GOD!" she shouted, covering her eyes with her hands. Her shouting caused Jay, Uma, and Ben to come running over to the door, but once they saw the sight, their eyes widened and shock become the dominant expression on their faces.

"Seriously…again?" God, you two go at it like a bunch of rabbits" Uma quipped before turning around and leaving the rest alone.

Evie climbed off of Harry and stood up, smoothing down her hair and pajamas. Harry threw off the sheets and stood up next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Evie shot at the others, embarrassed that they caught her and Harry in a precarious moment.

"Ever heard of not doing it when other people are in the next room over?" Mal asked.

"Alright, alright. Beat it all of ye before I hook ye" Harry said, moving over to the group assembled around the door, ready to throw them out.

"Just get ready. We're leaving in forty-five minutes" Jay said before Harry shut the door in their faces and flipped the lock shut on the door, giving them privacy.

Evie sighed while Harry made his way back to Evie before bursting out laughing.

"It's not funny" Evie pouted, slapping his arm. "They could've seen stuff."

"What? It's not like they don't know about us and what we do" Harry pointed out.

"Of course they know. They don't need to have a visual dummy" Evie said, pushing him backwards onto the bed and following after him.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they emerged out of the bedroom, freshly dressed, completely decent, and much happier. They slipped into the bathroom together to finish getting ready, but they underestimated the space available to them. Mal's bathroom was so small that Evie and Harry were practically on top of each other, and not in the fun way. Evie kept bumping her elbow into Harry when he was trying to do his guyliner, and Harry accidentally stepped on her foot when trying to move around her, causing her to smear her lipstick over her cheek.

"Sorry" he muttered.

"It's fine. Just turn around one second."

Harry turned around and came face to face with a makeup brush.

"What's that for?"

"Just close your eyes and shut up." She took the brush and smudged the guyliner around his eyes, creating a smoky and smudgy effect.

"There, much better" she purred. She always found him more attractive with smudgy guyliner.

Another twenty minutes later, they clambered out of the bathroom, fully ready to go. The others were sitting around in the living room looking bored out of their minds. This was going to be their first full day on the Isle and potentially the most dangerous.

"Finally, you two are done" Mal said with a relieved sigh. She was getting hungry, and when Mal got hungry, it meant nothing but attitude and anger.

"You know you could've gone and picked up the food and brought it back, right?" Evie questioned, zipping up the front of her leather jacket.

"Yeah, I know, but he" she pointed over at Ben who was busy adjusting the beanie on his head for what seemed to be the tenth time "wanted to eat at the shop, and I don't have any coins."

"None of us do" Uma said with a yawn. She was definitely pissed and tired at being awakened at such an early hour. She thought that this whole thing wouldn't be on a schedule, but she apparently thought wrong.

"Well, I guess we're in luck again because I managed to get some."

"Alright, great. Can we get some food now?" Jay asked.

They stood up and headed down the stairs, the groan and strain piercing their ears. Mal pried open the door and stuck her head out, looking around to see if anyone important might spot them.

"Just go already" Uma said. She was annoyed at how cautious they were being. They were already spotted last night, so there was no point in being cautious at this point anymore.

They made their way out of the doorway and entered the shop, where all the morning patrons were scattered around the tables, yawning into their morning cup of coffee. Out of the corner of her eye, Evie thought she saw a pointed, triangle hat that may belong to a pirate, but she was too tired to think anything of it. Almost everyone was too tired to give anyone or anything a second glance.

"Go find a table guys. We'll get the food. Anyone want milk in their coffee?" Evie asked.

"I'll take some" Ben replied.

She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him towards the counter. She approached the register and found the same goblin who served them last night still working the morning shift.

"You again?" he asked spitefully. "Haven't you been here enough?"

"Oh we're sorry. You've mistaken us for people who give a rat's ass" Harry shot back to the goblin.

"Just get us six stale muffins and six cups of coffee with one having milk, or else we'll be running out of here again without paying."

The goblin shot them a cold glare before turning around and heading back into the kitchen. The two of them headed down to the pickup end of the counter and waited for their order. Meanwhile, Ben was looking around the place like an obvious tourist on vacation. If he could, he would be taking pictures every two seconds, but the camera most likely would be stolen the second he put it down. Never leave your things unattended on the Isle.

"Here's your order. Now beat it you two" the goblin said sourly.

Evie placed a single, rusty coin down on the counter, and the goblin quickly snatched it and stuffed it into the pocket of his apron. They grabbed the plates and cups of coffee and made their way over to the group.

"Breakfast is up. Enjoy" Harry sarcastically said, placing the cups in his hands on the table.

"What's this and why didn't you have this last night?" Ben whined, picking up the muffin and turning it over in his hands. "This looks so much better than the chicken."

"It's a stale muffin. Probably the only thing decent on this island" Evie said, picking her ups and taking a bite out of it.

Ben took a bite out of his and gave the group a shrug. "It's still better than last night." He picked up the cup of coffee and took a gulp of it, his face scrunching up at the bitter taste. "But I can do without that."

"Better get used to it, because it's either that or murky water with floating scraps of dirt."

Ben, knowing he had no option since murky water would probably be even worse, conceded and finished off the cup of coffee, hoping the stale muffin would neutralize the taste. The rest of the group finished off their breakfast before standing up and leaving. Ben cleared his throat, which gathered the attention of the other five.

"Uh, aren't you guys forgetting something?"

The five of them looked around at each other and around the restaurant before they shook their heads.

"You guys kind of forgot to pay?" he said, but it came out in more of a question.

His statement made them all look at him like he grew two heads right before their eyes.

"Are ye bein' serious right now?" Harry asked him.

"What? What did I do wrong this time?" Ben whined. He was trying to fit in, but at the rate he was going, he obviously was failing.

"Ben, you don't pay for stuff. Just get up and leave" Mal said, grabbing his arm and forcing him out of the shop. "You seriously need to learn how to fit in better."

The moment they exited the shop, the brisk, morning draft hit them full force, causing them to shiver slightly and pull their leather jackets closer to their bodies. Harry wrapped his arm around Evie and rubbed her arm up and down, trying to bring some warmth and blood circulation to her.

The sun was starting to slowly make its way pass the horizon, and the fruit vendors were opening up their ripped awnings, ready to start their day. It wasn't the wide variety of fruit you would find at Auradon. It was mostly bruised apples and oranges with the occasional banana and blueberry bundle. Uma looked around at the nearest fruit vendor, and her lips curled into a devious smile.

"Need help fitting in your majesty?" she asked with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"I guess. I don't want to be the reason this plan fails" Ben said shrugging his shoulders.

"Good. Then go up to the apple vendor and take one of her apples" Uma said, elbowing Harry in his side She knew it would be fun to watch him squirm and see the inner struggle with his conscience.

"I would…but…but…um…I" he stuttered out.

"Bu…bu…but what?" Uma stuttered out, mocking him. Mal shot her a glare, but Uma didn't care one bit. This was the most fun she was having since going to Auradon.

"There's not a lot of people around. What if I get spotted?" Ben asked. This caused Jay to step up in front of him and pull the beanie off his head, releasing his long locks of hair.

"Watch and learn my friend" he said with a smirk.

Jay proceeded over to the fruit vendor and gave her a charming smile. He picked up the apples individually and examined each one of them intently. When the seller turned her back to him, he quickly stuffed five apples into his beanie and proceeded back towards the group, a look of pride on his face. Even after a year, he still had it in him.

"It's as easy as that" Jay said, picking the apples out of his beanie and stuffing them in Mal's backpack for later.

"So, think you can handle breaking the rules?" Evie asked, her lips too curling up.

Ben wanted to move forward and prove them all wrong, but his feet seemed to be unable to. This was going against everything he was taught as a young boy. How anyone could steal and not feel guilty about it he didn't know.

"Don't think about it…just go" Mal said, shoving him in his back, forcing him to move forward.

He made his way over to the vendor and pulled his beanie off his head. Like Jay, he gave her a charming smile and picked up each apple individually, examining them for bruises. She turned around and he stuffed the apple in his beanie. Unlike Jay, the vendor turned back too quickly and caught him.

"HEY!" she shouted. "You plan on paying for that?" she asked him, narrowing her eyes and straightening her posture, trying to appear tougher than she really was.

In a brave and possibly stupid move, Ben blurted out a "nope" and quickly ran from the fruit stand, leaving the seller shouting profanities and curses at him. The other five were clapping and praising him on his first official act of villainy.

"Please don't ever make me do that again" he pleaded as he placed his apple in Mal's backpack.

"Sorry…no guarantees" Mal quipped back.

"Ok, so where should we start the tour? Jay asked as the headed down the road towards Frollo's Creperie.

"How about my house? It's on the far end of the Isle. We'll head down there and work our way back" Evie suggested.

The other five murmured their reluctant agreement and headed down Unfortunate Avenue towards Woeful Way.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, the group finally made their way onto Hell Street, all six of them almost completely out of breath. Only two of them had ever made the walk this far before: Evie and Harry. When the group met at any other time, they always met somewhere in the middle. Mal was clutching the stitch in her side, Jay was trying to wipe the sweat that formed on his forehead off with his beanie, Ben had taken his jacket off and slung it over his shoulder, and Uma managed to remove her heeled boots and walked through the streets barefoot. Evie was appalled at her lack of decency and cleanliness, but Uma didn't seem to care. After all, she did grow up eating rot for seventeen years.

Walking down Hell Street, they made their way down to Evie's former home and dwelling: Castle Across the Way. It was still how Evie remembered it: the tall, dark, gray stone walls; the Gothic architecture that loomed from a distance; and the familiar eerie feeling one felt when they came to visit or even pass by. It still looked like no one lived there for a century, but Evie knew that to be a false impression of the place.

"So, this is where you lived Evie?" Ben asked between huffs and gasps for air.

"Yep. All thanks to Mal and her mother."

"My god, this place is huge" Uma said, impressed with the massive size of the castle. She didn't venture from the docks that often, but she clearly never made it to this remote part of the Isle. Not many people had important business to attend down this way. "How do you even know where the hell you're going?"

"We didn't. We never strayed far from the center of it. That's why most of the rooms are covered in cobwebs and layers of dust. Mother wasn't keen on housekeeping that much" Evie replied, kicking an old twig from one of the dead trees to the other side of the road.

"Do you think your mother is still in there?" Jay asked.

Evie shrugged her shoulders. "Probably still sleeping if I were to guess. Mother never managed to get up this early, unless the Auradon cargo ships came in that day. But let's not test that theory" she said, grabbing Harry's hand and walking further down the road.

Going down the road further, they came to their next destination: Hell Hall. In contrast to Evie's home, it was the height of old Victorian Charm back in London, but it sadly fell into an ugly disaster zone. A few of the Isle residents even compared it to an ugly goblin's face. The twisted vines still covered the walls and the black, wrought-iron gate at the entrance.

"I'm guessing Carlos lived here" Ben said, taking in the sight before him.

"Lived here…more like allowed to survive here" Mal said.

"Funny enough, we lived so close to each other, yet we never managed to see each other until my first day at Dragon Hall" Evie added.

"I remember reading something about this in a book once" Ben said, running his fingers over the iron gates, causing flakes of black paint to fall off. "It was going to be a castle, but the guy who originally owned it went completely insane and disappeared."

"That's pretty much what happened. But trust me, that place is anything but a castle" Mal said, moving a purple strand of hair out of her eye that had blown there.

"What do you mean?"

"First of all, Carlos slept on a mattress in his mother's fur closet filled with bear traps" Jay said.

"Second, it was never built for winter, so he often froze at night" Mal added after him.

"Third, he was the housekeeper, and if anything was wrong or dirty, he got severely punished."

Ben looked at them like they were joking or exaggerating, but the serious expressions on their faces told him they weren't kidding. His thought was further solidified when Harry and Uma refused to meet his gaze. Everyone, from the remote princess to the dock-dwelling resident, heard about Cruella and her abusive ways towards Carlos.

"You mean, Carlos…"

"He had it the worst out of all of us" Evie said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

Ben turned and looked back up at Hell Hall, appalled that some could even think of doing that to their child. He could only picture a freckled, white hair boy curled up on a dirty mattress shivering and hoping a blanket that never existed would be provided. It was no wonder why Carlos was so skittish and nervous the first day he came. He lived in constant fear and terror of what his mother would do to him. It all made perfect sense.

"Come on, let's head back to the castle" Uma said, turning and heading down the road.

The group gave a final look back at Hell Hall before turning their backs and making their way up Hell Street. They turned onto Woeful Way where Ben suggested that they visit the docks, but Mal pointed out that he had already been there and that there wasn't much left to see. The docks were a limited space and not much else. After another grueling walk, they made their way onto Mean Street with the intent of going to see Jay's former home.

Throughout their entire walk, Ben noticed that the children and even adults were wearing nothing but raggedy clothing that was frayed or filled with holes. Two or three of them would shoot them nasty looks, obviously jealous by how well they looked. Their clothes certainly weren't tattered or ripped. The trashcans were overflowing, and trash was being blown down the street and settling into the potholes that covered the roads. If Ben hadn't seen the Isle with his own two eyes, he never would have believed anything they said.

"And this is my dad's shop" Jay said as they came to stand in front of it. The shop's sign was turned to closed and all twenty-four of the locks were all in the locked position. A true thief only stole and never got anything stolen by someone else.

"How did you live here?"

"Had a room behind the shop. I slept on a rug underneath a shelf that was going to break any day. Probably already broke."

"What did you guys sell?"

"Pretty much all the items I swiped from other people. I'd steal them, he'd set them on the shelves, then he would scam them out of all the coins they had to purchase it again."

Harry broke off from the group to go find some water to quench his thirst. The group was walking back down the road when a voice captured their attention.

"You guys are back…again?" Mal recognized the voice as belonging to Anthony Tremaine, who was oddly enough joined by Rick Ratcliffe, Governor Ratcliffe's son.

"Yeah, we're back…problem?" Mal asked, giving him a look that dared to respond.

"You know you guys don't belong here" he shot at them before noticing Ben. "Oh look here Rick, they brought a little friend this time." He elbowed Rick in the side before he felt the cold metal of a hook being inserted into his jacket and shirt. He gulped and heard the familiar accented voice.

"Hiya!" Harry said, giving him a signature psychotic smile that showed all his teeth.

Rick Ratcliffe was smart enough to slip out and escape from the area, but Anthony was trapped by Harry's hook.

"If ye want tae be in one piece, I suggest ye beat it" he threatened in Anthony's ear. Anthony gulped and took off running in the opposite direction once he was freed from the hook.

"Nice one Harry" Uma said, shooting him a smile. Harry merely shrugged his shoulders, as if he did this every two hours. Before long, another small voice rang out and captured their attention again.

"Boy, you guys sure are brave coming back here, especially at this time."

The voice belonged to Hermie Bing. She and her twin brother Herbert were the descendants of the Ringmaster, who was imprisoned here for his crimes against Dumbo the Elephant. By one glance, anyone would recognize her as his daughter. She had his signature jet-black hair and wore his signature colors: a red tailcoat, a yellow skirt with black, leather knee-high boots, light-blue shirt with yellow gloves, and for extra emphasis, a bullwhip tucked on her hip.

"Hermie!" Evie squealed, happy to find a familiar and friendly face here. Hermie was one of their allies in the Anti-Heroes club, except for Uma and Harry. Those two often had fun picking on Hermie and Herbert, but Hermie managed to bite back one time, nicking Gil in the butt with her whip and leaving a nice, red mark.

"Hermie, this is…uh…Florian" Mal said, trying to think of a cover story. "He lived in Auradon but got sent here as punishment."

"Pleasure" Hermie said, taking off her gray top hat and giving Ben a bow. "But I know who you are. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me" she said, giving him a mischievous wink.

"Wait, what did ye mean before?" Harry asked, suddenly remembering what she said before the group got sidetracked.

"Oh, about you guys being brave for coming back?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" Uma asked her with a slight amused scoff in her voice. They lived here for all of their lives. Surely they know how the Isle is run and managed. They all managed to survive and last this long.

"You mean…you guys didn't hear?"

All six of them shook their heads. Hermie looked around before grabbing Jay's arm and pulling them into a side alley between Jafar's Junk Shop and a run-down used furniture store.

"Can you just tell us?" Mal asked getting agitated. "What's with all the secrecy?"

Hermie opened her mouth, and when she spoke, it was a voice that was barely above a whisper, as if saying it out loud would lead her to unintended consequences.

"Uma's pirate gang joined forces with the Evil Queen, and now she and the pirates are the rulers of the Isle."


	26. Chapter 26: Disaster Ahead

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone and a giant welcome to all the new followers and viewers to the story.**

 **If you haven't noticed it already, I published a holiday one-shot titled "A Red and Silver Christmas", detailing Harry and Evie's first Christmas in Auradon together, so be sure to check it out as well. It's very lighthearted and has fluffy moments in it.**

 **I hope you all have a happy Christmas and a delightful holiday. Enjoy the chapter and story and I'll see you all next time!**

* * *

Five sets of eyes shot themselves towards Evie, who stood there shaking like a leaf. Her face was plastered with anxiety, horror, and shock wrapped up in one. She knew that something bad was happening here, but this was the last thing she would have expected. The pirates and her mother...the rulers of the Isle?

"My...my mother?" she stuttered out, still not released of all the shock that fell over her.

"Yeah. I thought you guys would've heard about it when it happened?" Hermie said, slightly confused. Surely Auradon heard all about the daily happenings on the Isle considering they were a part of the kingdom.

"Well, you clearly thought wrong" Uma replied.

"How did this even happen?" Jay asked.

"Think about it. It was her and my mother vying for the title. Once my mother was defeated and once Uma left, there was no one left to stand in her way. She simply swooped in at the right moment" Mal answered.

"But that still doesn't explain why the pirates teamed up with her" Evie pointed out.

"It was weird after you guys left" Hermie cut in. "Once Uma left, they started to trickle over into these parts of the Isle. It was like they had nothing to do with their time anymore."

"Then once she saw them, she probably asked them to team up since she knew Uma left and they had no leader now" Mal said, slapping Ben on the arm once she realized what happened.

"Precisely" Hermie affirmed.

The group fell silent at what Hermie revealed, trying to digest it all. They didn't give the Isle much thought after Cotillion since they had no high risk situations to deal with. It's no wonder why they treated this plan nonchalantly, besides Harry and Evie. They didn't think anything was wrong over here.

Harry looked over his shoulder, thinking he saw someone standing there watching them, but his suspicion was proven wrong when the alleyway was free and unoccupied. Only sights of people passing by filled the space with their indistinguishable chatter.

It all made perfect sense though, what Mal said. Once the previous two queens were out of the way, it left the spot open for anyone. And without their leader, the pirates had no one to give them orders on what to do. All of the pieces fell into perfect alignment. Uma's crew now had a leader and the Evil Queen had her henchmen to support and defend her title.

"What do we do now?" Jay asked, interrupting everyone's racing thoughts.

"Let's get back to the castle and talk about it. Don't think we should be discussing this out in the open if the pirates are invading these parts" Mal said, grabbing Ben's arm and leading the way out. "Bye Hermie!" she called over her shoulder.

Hermie shouted a goodbye to them and exited out the other side of the alleyway, intending on meeting up with her brother.

They exited the alleyway and turned onto a corner street, heading down to the main road. On the main road, it seemed perfectly normal with all the resident occupants of this part wandering around and conducting normal day to day business. Out of the corner of her eye, Evie saw the same triangle-pointed pirate hat, and she knew her vision from this morning was true. She could've sworn he was looking directly at them, but she didn't dare look up from her shoes out of fear of confirming the rumors of their return. Uma and Harry went into the Slop Shop to grab something to eat, while the other four headed up the stairs into the living room.

Once inside, Jay and Mal sat down on the couch; Evie paced around the room, avoiding the stains on the grimy, dusty floor. Ben sat down in Maleficent's throne with his hands in his head. Ben was feeling guilty about indirectly putting them into this position. Evie desperately tried to talk him out of it, but he was being stubborn like his father and refused to take "no" for an answer. A few minutes later, Harry and Uma came back with the food, but no one was in the mood to eat anything.

"What do we do now?" Jay asked again. They had to think of a solution immediately or risk being caught unprepared and vulnerable.

"Do we call the whole thing off and go back?" Harry asked, his eyes following his girlfriend's wear pattern on the floor.

"We can't go back" Ben replied, lifting his head up and releasing a sigh. "We have no way of getting back."

"Doesn't the runt have the mirror?"

"Yeah, but it was only to be used if we are presently in trouble" Mal pointed out.

"And what do you call this?" Uma quipped.

"Technically, we're not in trouble. Nothing's happened" Harry told her.

"Nothing's happened yet..." Evie mumbled.

This was the problem that was brewing up on the Isle, but this was the last thing any one of them expected. But it left them with more questions than answers. Why would the Evil Queen partner up with the pirates when they were hell-bent on staying away from each other? What was the whole purpose of their alignment when there was nothing left? Maleficent and Mal failed to tear down the barrier, and Uma failed to tear down the barrier as well. With all the important people in Auradon and no circumstances happening that required a trade-off, they had no way off the Isle. There was no magic left.

"So, are we just going to stay inside for the rest of the trip? I think he's seen enough already" Jay mentioned.

"No, we can't do that. They way they win is if we start hiding and act like cowards. Second, we can't keep going back and forth carrying food and eating it on the floor" Mal responded, running her hand through the ends of her hair.

"But you heard what she said. The pirates are wandering around here, and I can guarantee they've been sent out here to look for us" Evie replied.

"But my question is how they know we're here in the first place" Ben added. "No one knew about the plan except Gil, Carlos, and my parents."

Silence descended on the group as they tried to figure out the flaw in the plan. On paper, everything was locked up and sealed tighter than a drum, but somewhere along the line, a giant crack formed and blew their cover. It could've been any one of the other VKs, but they didn't talk to the Evil Queen that often. If they blew their cover, they surely got the short end of the deal by not getting anything in return.

After a few minutes, Evie's face lit up, the gears in her mind turning.

"Ok, I see the gears turning, but I hear no words coming out" Mal said, looking at Evie intently. The focus and attention of the group now fell on her.

"Captain Hook..." she whispered.

"What about Captain Hook?" Uma asked, trying to figure out where she was going with this.

"He saw Harry and me out there last night on the docks and we trashed his store. But, he was also drunk so he probably had no filter on his words and he told everyone that we were back. One of your pirates must have overheard him and tipped my mother off. That explains why they're only around this way and not anywhere else."

"Oh, so it's your fault that this whole thing is blown to shit" Uma said. At least she wouldn't be blamed for this disaster.

"It's no one's fault" Ben said, standing up. "We never thought that this would happen."

This statement struck a sour note with Evie. Did he really just say they didn't think something like this would happen?

"You didn't think this would happen?" she asked, annoyance painting the edges of her voice. "Did you forget all the times I pointed out that something bad was going to happen on this godforsaken dump?!"

"Evie, just calm down..." Jay said, standing up and holding out his hands, like he was approaching a wild animal.

"Calm down?! You expect me to be calm when my mother and a bunch of rift raft pirates are out there looking for us?!"

"What I'm still trying to figure out is what they're trying to accomplish" Mal interjected.

"Trust me, if the Evil Queen offered them something in return, they would've taken it. She probably told them that she had a way off the Isle and they latched onto it. It's how I got them in the first place when the trident incident happened" Uma said.

"I knew it. I knew something bad was happening and now it's coming back to bite us in the ass."

"If you knew something bad was going to happen, why did you ask us to come along and why did you agree with the plan in the first place?" Jay asked.

"I tried my best to talk Ben out of it that day, but he never bothered to listen to me. He found a way to shoot down every argument and fear I had about this place so that this would happen. I got backed up into a corner and had no choice but to accept it."

"Wait...are you saying that this is somehow Ben's fault?" Mal asked, her tone suggesting that Evie lose the train of thought she was on.

"No, I'm just saying that if we never agreed to this, our lives wouldn't be in jeopardy right now, so give it up for the dumbass King who once again put us in danger with his poorly thought-out decisions."

With a throw of her hands, she strutted down the stairs and walked right out the castle, leaving the others confused and upset. Harry moved off his place from the wall to follow after her, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't. You've been there enough times. I think I can handle this better" Mal said. Harry gave her a look that told her he was grateful. They may have their differences, but they both loved the blue-haired princess.

"Just make sure she's alright" he mumbled.

"Cross my heart" Mal replied, squeezing his shoulder and heading down the stairs, hoping Evie wasn't that far ahead of her.

"Tell her I'm sorry for all of this!" Ben hollered before Mal left the store.

* * *

She didn't know how long she had been walking, but she knew it had been a while since her feet were starting to hurt her. She begrudgingly took a page out of Uma's book and slipped her shoes off, walking through the grungy streets barefoot. She could've sworn a blister was starting to form on her left foot, but she could care less about the pain. _Talk about a barefoot Cinderella._

Before long, she knew where her feet were leading her: Hell Hall. She didn't know why they were leading her this way, but she didn't question it. She just had this strong, gravitation pull towards the Victorian mansion, or someone there. With a heavy sigh and a slip of her shoes back on her feet, she pushed on the iron gates, surprised to find them squeak and groan under her touch. She cracked the gates open just enough to slip through.

The dead trees loomed over her, even though it was still somewhat sunny outside. She could sense vultures staring at her as she passed by them, ready to swoop in and devour her. She navigated her way through the forest of dead trees until she reached the side of the house and followed it towards the backyard. The backyard was covered in weeds since Cruella never bothered to do any type of lawn maintenance or gardening. A few times, she had to stop and release her heel from a weed that had wrapped around it. She made her way to a lone tree in the center of the backyard with a ladder hanging from it. With an exasperated sigh, she climbed the ladder, huffing and puffing as she went. This was the most exercise she ever received in one day.

Carlos' tree house lab looked exactly like she remembered it almost a year ago. The television with fifteen antennas sat in the corner, now covered in a thick layer of dust. The glass jars, vials, and beakers filled with various liquids and substances still sat proud on the shelves that lined the tree house. Carlos was always a bit of a nerd back on the Isle and Evie could see why. The place was littered with technological gizmos and gadgets and the small collection of various chemistry and biology books that he had.

She turned her gaze up to stare at the ceiling and found the hole where he pierced the barrier with his battery core. Even the most powerful piece of magic was susceptible to the human invention of technology. She could picture what Fairy Godmother's reaction would be if she heard that a fifteen year old managed to break through her powerful magic.

"To be honest, I never thought you would be here" a feminine voice said from the entrance of the tree house.

Evie turned her gaze towards the entrance and found Mal standing there, her hip jutted out and a gloved, jeweled hand resting on it. Evie knew that only she and Carlos had any knowledge of this place, so she figured Mal must have followed behind her.

Mal spun around in a circle, taking in the various sights and trinkets that were present. Her gaze worked its way towards the hole in the ceiling. "So, this is where it all started huh?"

Evie moved to stand by her and looked up back at it. "Yep. The start of the rest of our lives" she said with a nostalgic sigh.

Everything seemed so much simpler back then. She didn't have to worry about pleasing customers, making sure homework was turned in on time, or making sure she was well behaved. She could run rampant through the streets without a care in the world. Everything was open for the taking.

"Do you miss it?" Evie asked out loud.

"Miss what?" Mal asked right back, looking at her friend quizzically.

"How much simpler everything was? No rules, no responsibility, nothing to fear at all?"

Mal shrugged her shoulders and gave her friend a sigh. "Sometimes. There are still days I just want to pack everything up, run back here, and leave my royal life behind."

"What's stopping you then?"

"I don't know to be honest. There's so many reasons to stay. You guys, Ben, the crown, the fear of this place."

Evie looked at her friend with a stunned expression on her face. This was the first time she ever heard Mal admit that she was fearful of this place. The daughter of the most feared villain was afraid of her own territory. That is like Ms. Potts making a terrible meal: an absurd thought.

"You…fearful of this place?" Evie asked, a sarcastic scoff making its way out of her mouth.

"Don't act so surprised. I may be a villain's daughter, but I can make one hell of an actress."

Evie rolled her eyes and gave her a small, amused smile. Mal was always good at cracking a joke or two during tense and dark situations, and Evie was grateful for her in this moment.

"Look, E. You may not believe it, but I do know what's going on through your mind right now, and trust me, you have every reason to have those thoughts."

Evie was trying hard to not break down at this moment. She knew what Mal said about being courageous and brave, and she couldn't let her emotions betray her, even though she was downright terrified right now.

"I'm just scared of what she'll do" she said, her voice soft and quiet.

Mal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. "I know. Believe me, I was there." She removed her hand and started to tour all the various gadgets on an un-level table against the far wall. Some peaked her interest, making her pick them up and examine them intently.

"I know what it's like to be afraid of your mother. I know what it's like to come home at the end of the day and tell her what you did only to have her disappointment spat right back in your face. God knows my mother was horrible when you told her you failed to do what she asked."

When she thought about it, they were both in the same boat. Mal had all these expectations and these plans thrusted on her at a young age, and when she failed to meet them, it meant punishments and lectures from Maleficent. But now, the roles were reversed. Now, it was Evie afraid to see her mother after failing to follow through on their plans. She went against everything her mother taught her. She wasn't in love with a prince, and she turned her back on evil. Her mother had perfect motivation at this point for revenge and punishment.

"How did you deal with it?" Evie asked, her voice becoming stronger.

"I just decided to not let her rule my life or allow myself to be afraid of her" Mal said nonchalantly. "Our mothers may have been rulers of this place, but at the end of the day, they were just another human being that had no real power over here. It was all empty threats and big talk. But as long as we don't turn into submissive subjects, they can't affect us in anyway."

Mal worked her way back over to Evie and gently placed both hands on her shoulders, drawing her attention and focus.

"You are not going through this alone. We're all afraid right now to some degree. We don't know what will happen, but we'll get through it. Because we're better together."

Evie's lips started to twitch into a smile. "Stronger side by side." Mal gave her a grin and pulled her in for a hug.

"You're an amazing sister" Evie whispered in her ear.

"I know" Mal said, causing Evie to laugh. "By the way, Ben wanted me to tell you that he's sorry for putting you in this position."

Evie brushed off the statement with her gloved hand. "Don't worry about it. I wanted this as much as he did. It was all stuff said in the heat of the moment."

They released their hug and proceeded down the ladder and into the weed-filled backyard. They slipped through the gates and headed down the road. The sun was becoming lower in the sky, and it wouldn't be long until the sun set and darkness clouded their vision. Darkness on the Isle was the perfect time for mischief and mayhem.

"Hey, what do you think they'll have for dinner tonight?" Mal asked, turning to the side where Evie was, or so she thought.

"Evie?" she called out, looking around the surrounding area. No one was out on the road except her, and the only place of interest was Castle Across the Way. Mal gazed up at it, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up and her heart rate to pick up. She may be one of the most feared on this godforsaken place, but she knew she was in trouble at this point, and she had a feeling that the trouble was coming from the Gothic castle.

"Evie, if this is a prank, it's not funny" she called out to the empty void around her. But then she remembered that Evie never pulled a prank in her life. Her mother always thought pranks were petty and unnecessary as they distracted oneself from the overall picture: the prince and the mother-in-law wing with lots and lots of mirrors.

"Oh shit…" she whispered out, realizing what had happened. Her feet picked up their pace into a full-out run back to the center of town, her purple hair flying behind her. She burst through the shop door and ran up the stairs, the sound alerting those above to her presence. She bent over at the top of the stairs trying to catch her breath and make up for all the oxygen she just lost.

"What happened with you?" Ben asked, concern etched on his face.

"Where's Evie?" Harry asked, peering down the stairs to see if she was making a grand entrance.

"Evie…Evie's been…Evie's been taken."


	27. Chapter 27: The Queen of the Isle

**A/N**

 **Here's the next chapter everyone. I hope you all enjoy it. It is kind of emotional at times. For all the new followers and favorites and all the continued supporters, I thank you for your constant support and love for this story.**

 **I hope you all have a safe and happy new year and I'll see you all next time.**

* * *

Looks of horror and shock greeted Mal when she stood back up straight from her heavy breathing fit. All except one from a pirate with a feather sticking out of his hat. He had a murderous look on his face as he stared at the purple-haired figure.

"What do ye mean she was taken?" he asked, his voice bordering on rage.

"I don't know what happened" she gasped out, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "One minute we were walking down Hell Street and the next thing I know she was gone."

This wasn't a good enough explanation for Harry, who threw his hook down on the floor, the boom echoing off the walls of the castle. He lunged directly at Mal with a look that showed he was hell-bent on killing her with his bare hands. Ben and Jay immediately sprung into action, grabbing the pirate by an arm and pinning him back against the wall. He struggled against their grip trying to escape and squeeze the life out of Mal, who was now taking shelter behind the couch.

"Let...me...GO! he grunted against Jay, who had a forearm pressed against Harry's chest. Jay was strong, but even he was struggling to contain the rage inside the pirate. From behind the couch, Mal's face was turning into one of despair. She grew up with Harry for many years alongside Uma, but she never saw this murderous look in his eye.

"Harry, you don't want to do this. Think of what will happen" Ben said, trying to calm the pirate down to no avail.

"I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS WHAT WILL HAPPEN!" he roared. "LET ME GO!"

"Harry, trust me. You do anything to hurt one of us and I will make sure that you suffer severe punishments and consequences. Don't do this" Ben replied, the look his eye showing he wasn't kidding.

Harry stopped his struggling against Jay and stood there panting heavily. Ben walked over and grabbed one of the pirate swords and tossed it to Jay, who held the sharp edge against Harry's throat. Harry swallowed hard; he may be insane and borderline psychotic at times, but he was smart enough to know when to quit.

Ben walked over behind the couch and took his girlfriend's hand. He guided them over to the couch and sat down, tucking her into his side trying to comfort her. She was already upset and emotional over the whole incident, but seeing Harry and his reaction made it ten times worse.

"Mal...Mal, look at me" Ben said calmly, looking into her eye. "Deep breaths." Ben started to take slow deep breaths, encouraging Mal to follow his lead. After a few attempts, her breathing calmed down and matched Ben's.

"Feeling better?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She only nodded her head at his question. "Why don't you tell us what happened exactly once you left."

Mal took another deep breath before speaking. "First, I followed behind her all the way to Hell Street."

"Why in the hell did you down that far? You know her mother lives there" Jay said, never taking his stare off the pirate.

"I don't know. She was just walking down that way" Mal said. "She crept into Hell Hall and went to the backyard. She climbed this ladder to a tree house chemistry lab that Carlos had. We had a conversation then we left. We went down the street and I thought she was following right beside me. I turned to ask her a question and the next thing I know, she was gone."

"This still doesn't add up" Uma added, making herself known to the group. "She's not a stupid girl, but going down to the place where her mother lives is pretty stupid."

"Like I said, shrimpy" Mal shot at the sea witch's daughter. "I don't know why she went down that way. It looked like she had some weird pull towards that place."

Ben released his grip on Mal and placed his head into hands, rubbing his face. This was his entire fault. He knew that Evie had reservations about this place and tried to warn him, but he did nothing to hear her out. All he did was find a way to shoot down any argument she gave him or tried to give him, refusing to budge on his plan. He lifted his head and shook it, clearing his thoughts.

"This is entirely my fault."

"No" Mal said. "Like you said earlier, we had no way of knowing this would happen. If anything, this is my fault. I said that I would make sure she was fine and then she gets taken under my watch."

"No arguments here" Harry spat at her.

"Everyone just relax" Ben said. "Let's not try and figure out who's to blame. Let's just try and figure out a solution."

"I already got one" Harry said with a wicked look in his eye.

He lifted his knee up and rammed into the right spot on Jay. Jay crouched down in pain, momentarily releasing the sword in his hand and holding his throbbing spot. Harry swept the sword out of the air before it hit the ground; in a flash, he was flying down the stairs and out of the shop, ready to save his blue-haired princess.

* * *

She didn't know how it happened so fast. She was walking right next to Mal and the next thing she knew, her face and arms were covered by gloved hands, and she was being lifted right off the ground. She figured it must have been a pirate who took her, and it was a strong one at that. He didn't even flinch when Evie tried to free herself by kicking at his shins.

She was carried up the stairs amidst the whoops and hollers of the other pirates in Uma's crew. Evie knew then that she was the target all along and that they finally managed to get it. She was carried down a dark, drafty hallway and thrown into a room with a broken chandelier and small balcony. After standing up and dusting off her leather skirt, she ran towards the door only to have it slammed in her face and bolted shut.

"LET ME OUT!" she banged on the door, but she knew it was useless. The pirate on the other side of the door laughed at her antics and her failed struggles. He started whistling a tune until it got fainter and fainter until only silence remained.

She let out a huff of frustration before turning around and recognizing where she was. It was her old bedroom she slept in for sixteen years. It was much dustier than she remembered. The bed frame was chipped and rusted pale white accented by the midnight blue sheets on the lumpy mattress. She could remember all the times she woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat out of fear of her mother or after the time Mal locked her in that closet.

Her desk was pressed up into the corner, where all her mother's old spell books and her castle-schooled textbooks laid collecting dust. She wiped the lone tear from her eye as it fell as the sight before her brought back years and years of painful memories. She was a little girl, sitting here poring over the spell books religiously like her mother's makeup education. She could recite every single one of her mother's tips from memory when she was eight years old. _How everything was so different back then._

She wiped her finger over one of the books before turning her attention to the closet door. She opened it and saw a closet devoid of all the blue leather skirts and blue dresses that hung on the racks. Her shoe bin was emptied as well. The only things that were left were old clothes that she never wore anymore but kept for some reason.

The vanity outside of it was absent of every makeup and skincare item that she got from the cargo containers from the docks. It was never much: just half-empty tubes of lip gloss and a few sprits of perfume. She was surprised that her room didn't look like it was touched in months. Maybe her mother avoided this room altogether. It wouldn't be a shock since her mother never came into her room that often as a little girl.

She flopped down on the bed and covered her face with a hard pillow. This was going to be her life now, trapped like Rapunzel in the bedroom for the rest of her life with no hope of escape. She was never going to sleep in silk and satin again nor was she going to dine on exquisite food. She was never going to see her friends again. She was going to lose her pirate.

The heavy bolt on the door was removed, causing Evie to remove the pillow and sit up. A few moments later, the door opened up and the new queen sauntered in, her blue dress and black cape trailing on the floor behind her. Evie's heart rate started to pick up at the wicked smile on her mother's face.

"My little evil-ette in training. How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

"Well, you didn't give me much of a choice, mother" Evie scoffed.

Her mother didn't change at all during the past year. Her face was still clear and wrinkle-free as ever. No dark mark or blemish dared make their presence or face her wrath. Her makeup was still in perfect condition, and her attire was regal and elegant. She certainly looked like the former queen she was when she ruled her own kingdom.

"I heard that you and your little friends came back here, but I didn't believe it. Imagine my surprise when Desiree came and told me Captain Hook spotted you on his docks."

 _So I was right_ Evie thought. Captain Hook tipped off Uma's crew with the news of their return, and she immediately went and told the Evil Queen they were back. But it still didn't explain how they knew she was there this very night.

"How did you know that I would be here tonight? Not exactly subtle when you do anything these days."

"I always had a pirate or two wandering around the outside of this place. I saw you walking earlier this morning and figured you would be back sometime later."

 _Dammit._ If it wasn't for their little Isle tour, they would've been safe and spotless. She couldn't complain though because they all mutually agreed upon it in the first place.

"What do you want? Why am I even here?" Evie asked exasperated.

"All in good time, my dear" her mother replied, shutting the door behind her and moving to stand in front of her daughter. She reached out her smooth, porcelain hands and cupped her face, moving it side to side.

"The makeup is still intact, but your hair is a nightmare" Evil Queen pointed out. "What have I told you about frizzy hair?"

Evie sighed like she was a petulant child. "It looks good on no one and that the only way to fix it is elixir."

"At least you still remember that part. You seem to forget the rest of our plan" Evil Queen said bitterly.

Evie knew this was the mood her mother was going to have. She wasn't a "barrel of laughs" when she didn't get her way. She relied on Evie to fulfill her dream and she let her down once again. Funny how everything Evie did always let her mother down.

"It wasn't our plan" Evie shot at her mother. "It was all for you to obtain. I was just your little pawn."

"It was our plan, Evie" her mother said, forming fists with her hands. "It was your destiny to rule a kingdom in Auradon with a handsome prince by your side. It was your birthright that was taken away from you due to that ungrateful shedding Beast."

"Maybe I didn't want to marry a prince or rule a kingdom. Maybe I wanted to do my own dream."

Her mother unclenched her hands and dropped them back to her sides. She stared hard at her daughter, anger creeping into her veins and working its way through her body.

"Auradon's changed you. I taught you everything you needed to know to make it in life."

"No, mother. You only taught me how to get everything you wanted in your life" she fired back.

This was the wrong thing to say, as Evie felt an open palm smack her cheek and leave a bright, red handprint on her face. She instinctively covered the cheek with her hand and rubbed it, hoping to massage the sting out of it. She was used to her mother and her abusive ways, but that doesn't mean she was tolerant of the pain.

"How dare you talk back to you mother!" Evil Queen shrieked. "I was only looking out for your best interest and here you go and throw it away for a fashion business. You should have other people dressing you, not the other way around."

Evie rolled her eyes and expected the second blow, but it never came.

"Desiree also told me something else. That you and that rift raft pirate are dating again."

"His name is Harry" Evie cracked at her mother.

"Who gives a damn what his name is. The pirates are not good enough for my daughter. You should be dating a prince by now and inherited a kingdom like Mal. That should've been you up there instead of her. Yet you stood by and threw it away to her and dated a pirate."

"What's the big deal about him anyway?" Evie asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "He's given me everything I wanted."

"Has he really?" Evil Queen said with a raised eyebrow. She started circling her daughter, causing a shiver to run up and down Evie's spine.

"I seem to remember that he stormed out on you one night and you came home crying your eyes out to me about him. Let's not forget how he was hell-bent on killing you with that sword fight. Has the boy really given you everything you wanted?"

Evie went silent at what her mother said. As much as she hated to admit it, she was right. After their break-up, Evie came home that night and cried her eyes out in her mother's lap about how a pirate broke her heart. In a rare gesture, her mother comforted her that night and told her that the pirates were a useless bunch good only for sword fighting.

"No" she shook her head, knowing she had to lie. "You're wrong. He has given me everything I wanted, even when I didn't ask for them."

"Oh really? Evil Queen asked, her lips curling into a devious smile. "How about that lovely pearl bracelet?"

Evie shot her mother a surprised look. As far as she knew, only she and Harry had any knowledge about it on the Isle. She hardly wore it out in public, so how could her mother know about it?

"How do you know about that?"

"Because I'm the one who made it!" she said in a loud voice. "He broke into the castle one day and took it from my possession and gave it to you!

Evie's mind couldn't think of a coherent thought, not with all the new revelations her mother told her. Harry lied to her about the bracelet and how it came about. He told her he made it, but in reality, it was her mother who had it and Harry just stole it.

"Now that that is out of the way, is there anything else you need cleared up about your little thief of a boyfriend?"

Evie shook her head, her blue trusses flowing with the movement. "Just tell me why all this? What is it that you want?"

"It was quite easy actually. Once Maleficent and Uma left, I was able to ascend to the throne of this place and rule it. I can at least say you were good enough to turn her into a lizard for me" she said, giving Evie a sly smile.

"But why the pirates? What could you possibly want with them?"

"As dimwitted as they are, they are incredibly intimidating and can work weapons really well. Once Uma betrayed them, they begged for a leader to look up to, and I offered it to them. They now enjoy the finer things of the Isle thanks to me."

"That doesn't explain why you are using them" Evie replied.

"Have I taught you nothing? A true villain never reveals her intentions to others, does she?"

A pirate with cornrows and a scar on his left cheek knocked on the door and alerted them to his presence. Evil Queen turned her attention to the new intruder.

"Ah, yes Jonas. What do you need?"

"Ye need tae come downstairs. We have somethin' special for ye" he said. He was grinning gleefully and practically bouncing in his boots.

Evil Queen picked up her dress and exited the room, while Jonas grabbed Evie's arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Ye'll want tae see this too, princess" he whispered in her ear. It took all Evie had in her to not vomit at the bad breath smell that was invading her nostrils.

They followed after Evil Queen down the dark hallway and down the staircase. At the bottom of the stairs, the pirate gang was gathered around a kneeling figure, all of them pointing their swords at him. Evil Queen's lips curled up into a smile, and Evie's face had a look of horror.

Harry was kneeling in the middle of the group, his hands tied behind his back with rope. He looked roughed up and sported a bloody nose. He was out of breath and devoid of his pirate sword and silver hook.

"Well, well, well" Evil Queen said, moving to circle the kneeling pirate. "How did this happen?"

"Caught him trying to save the princess" Bonny, a female pirate with a red bandana tied around her head, said. "He was a scrappy thing, but we managed to get him under control."

"He'll certainly be of some use to us. Throw him in the basement until I send one of you to get him."

Jonas and Gonzo, a pirate with long braids, picked Harry up by the arms and dragged him out of the foyer. The remaining pirates started to leer at him and hold their pirate swords up in triumph. Meanwhile, Evie was standing there trying hard to not let the tears slip and fall out of her eyes. Harry was captured and was going to be tortured unless she thought of something quick.

"Let him go!" she pleaded.

Her plea was only met with a chorus of laughter from the pirates and her mother.

"Afraid it doesn't work like that, dear."

"Let him go and I'll do anything you want me to" Evie said with false bravery. This time, it shut the pirates up and made them look at her with slight disbelief. Jonas and Gonzo stopped dragging Harry away and let him look at the scene in front of them. Her mother turned to her daughter with an attentive look until the idea shone on her face.

"I'll let him go if you stay on the Isle and leave Auradon behind."

"Fine" she replied immediately.

"Not so fast. I wasn't finished. I want you to also admit that you never loved Harry to begin with and that you were only toying with his emotions."

Evie knew that this was coming. Her mother was playing hardball with this. She wanted to see her daughter and Harry both suffer the worst feeling possible: heartache. It was either her future happiness or her boyfriend's freedom. She glanced over at Harry, who subtly nodded, conveying the decision Evie had to make. She sighed before she looked Harry dead in the eye, hoping to keep the emotions at bay.

"I never loved you, Harry. It was all one giant prank that you stupidly fell for. Maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were."

 _Damn._ Pain flashed across Harry's face before he put on a stone-cold mask. He wouldn't admit it, but Evie just shot at his deepest insecurities. He knew she didn't mean a single word of it, but his heart was ruling his head at this moment, and all it told him was that she crushed his heart again.

"Excellent!" Evil Queen said, clapping her hands together in delight. "We'll release him later one once we're done with him." Jonas and Gonzo dragged Harry out of the foyer, and this time, Evie let a single tear fall from her eye.

"As for you, young lady" Evil Queen said. She snapped her finger and pointed at her daughter. Two pirates came up and grabbed each of her arms, pulling her up the stairs with Evil Queen following right behind them. They dropped her on her bed and exited the bedroom, leaving the mother-daughter duo alone once again.

"I'm sure you know the story of Rapunzel, so I don't need to explain this part to you" her mother said before giving her a wicked smile. "Consider this your punishment for betraying everything I taught you and everything evil."

Her mother turned on her heel and exited the room, her cape following right along behind her. Evie's bedroom door closed shut and the bolt on her door was locked, effectively trapping her inside. She was now the Rapunzel of the Isle, but unlike the real Rapunzel, there wasn't a prince or a pirate coming to save her.


	28. Chapter 28: Run for your Lives

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone and welcome back. I'm sorry this chapter came out a little later than I had anticipated, but action scenes were a little challenging to me. They look so much easier when done in TV and the movies, so I did research some stories with action scenes in them to get a feel for how they are written. It's not a really major part of the chapter, but it does get the job and feeling done.**

 **Thank you guys so much for your kind words on the last chapter. It means a lot to me when I read them.**

 **I hope you all enjoy it, and I'll see you next time. There is an announcement coming up next chapter.**

* * *

"Come on, someone think of something" Mal grumbled, shooting Ben a glare.

She was busy pacing the room leaving behind shoe prints in the layer of dust that covered the floor. Jay was rubbing his face with his palms and Ben was rubbing his temples with his eyes closed, looking like his patience was being tested to the extreme limits.

For the past ten minutes, the group had been trying to think of plans to rescue Evie and now potentially Harry from the Evil Queen and her gang of pirates, but nothing was agreed upon. Everything Mal and Jay thought of was met by hesitancy and skepticism by Ben, and Uma was practically useless in this plan. She was busy sitting on the couch drinking a cup of cold, muddy coffee.

"Look, we just need to accept the fact that we're going to have to fight these guys, so the sooner you get off that high horse Ben, the sooner we can go get Evie" Jay said once again. Ben had been really trying their patience the past few minutes.

"But there has to be a way to diplomatically settle this" Ben tried to explain again. "Why don't we offer her something in return?"

"For the last damn time" Mal sighed. "There is no offering her anything. We just need to go, get Evie and Harry, and then get the hell out of there. There's no use bargaining with them."

"Can we at least try?"

"Dammit Ben, you are so frustrating at times" Mal shot at her boyfriend, running a hand through her purple locks. "You might as well just offer the keys to the entire kingdom because that's what it will take to get Evie and Harry out of captivity."

Ben opened his mouth to retort Mal's statement, but Jay was quick to cut him off.

"Just drop it dude. No use fighting Mal over plans. I've been there before and it doesn't work."

Ben gave them a conceded sigh and flopped back onto the couch. He couldn't help himself; it had been ingrained in his mind since childhood. His parents always taught him to resolve conflicts without violence or fighting, but this wasn't Auradon. This was the Isle, and the Isle didn't care about diplomacy. If you wanted something, you either went or took it or you fought for it.

"Alright, now that we wasted ten minutes of pointless discussion" Mal said, shooting Ben another glare. "Let's figure out where they would be."

"What about her bedroom?" Jay asked.

"Wouldn't that be kind of obvious?" Ben pointed out. "Her mother doesn't seem like a complete idiot.

"True, but the Evil Queen never had something built to hold prisoners or captives other than the basement, but even she wouldn't put Evie down there. Trust me when we say that Evie grew up a princess."

"And her room has a balcony, so we could probably get her attention or something and figure out what to do when we get there" Jay added. Mal snapped her fingers and pointed at him in agreement.

"Alright, so we got that part figured out, but what about Harry?" Ben asked. "I highly doubt the Evil Queen would put them in the same room together."

"Like I said before, the basement was the only place that is likely to hold prisoners, so she probably shoved Harry down there, but we can ask Evie. She most likely will know where he is" Mal said.

The two men murmured their agreement, and Mal let out a huge sigh of relief. Finally, there were no arguments over the plan. It was now taking shape, and it seemed to be quick and easy. However, Ben was the first to notice a major, deadly flaw in it.

"What if we run into pirates or something?"

"He does bring up a good point" Jay said, taking the king's side.

Mal resumed her pacing around the room, and Ben could've sworn the floor would give way with all the stomping on it. After a few moments, she snapped her fingers and ran into her bedroom. After a few moments of shuffling and zipping sounds, she came out holding a bottle with blue liquid in it.

"We'll just put them to sleep. Easy peasy" she said, echoing her mother's words before leaving for Auradon. She just hoped that they wouldn't end up back in the same position as Maleficent.

"Guess it'll work. Let's bring the swords just in case we need to fight them off" Jay said.

"Alright" Ben said, clasping his hands and standing up. "We'll see if we can talk to her by the bedroom, find out where Harry is, sneak into the castle, grab them both, and leave as quickly as possible."

"Let's do it" Mal said, her lips twitching up into a devious smile. This was Mal in her Isle element, the one that sneaked around, broke into other people's homes and stole their possessions, except this time, she was rescuing her sister.

The three of them went over to the bag and grabbed a pirate sword, slinging them over their shoulders or holding them firmly in their hands. They headed towards the staircase, but a turquoise blur caught Mal's attention. Uma was still sitting in the throne and she looked like she had no intention of leaving it.

"Wait...are you coming?" Mal asked.

Uma shrugged and went back to picking at the ends of her braids. "Didn't really _plan_ on it."

"Why exactly?" Mal asked, her temper starting to rise.

She looked at them like the reason was completely obvious, but the blank expressions on the three member group told her they had no idea.

"She's never done anything for me, so why should I do anything for her?"

"Are you kidding me right now?" Mal shot at Uma with a sour look.

Jay and Ben stood there with disbelief etched onto their faces. Out of all of them, Uma was the best one to deal with the pirates and know how they fight, so they naturally figured she would come with them. But this was Uma in her element as well. She grew up with Ursula, and Ursula lived by the philosophy of "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine".

"But what about Harry?" Ben asked. Surely Uma would come to rescue her oldest friend.

"He may be my friend, but it's not his fault he's in this mess. It's his little girlfriend's fault that he's captured" she said, with spite and a hint of jealously in her voice.

"Oh my god...can you just get over it?"

"Like how you got over me laughing at you?"

"Guys, now is not the time for this" Ben said.

He knew exactly what game she was pulling here. Uma saw no stake in this situation, so he knew she would do anything to avoid it altogether. There was always a catch with Uma and Ursula when it came to plans. He wouldn't normally do this, but because the situation could mean life or death, he knew he had no option.

"What's the catch? What do you want from us?" Ben asked her, getting direct to the point.

Uma stood up and tapped her finger to her chin in deep in fake thought. Mal was tapping her foot impatiently at Uma's game. The more time she did this meant more time was given to the Evil Queen to do anything to Evie or Harry.

"I want my mother's necklace out of the museum...permanently" she said, her lips curling up into a devious smile.

"Fine" Ben immediately replied. "If I give you the necklace, will you help save Evie and Harry?"

Uma waltzed over to the bag and grabbed a sword, twirling it in her hand.

"Lead the way, your majesty."

* * *

The four of them turned onto Hell Street and marched onward, determined looks on each of their faces. Ben and Jay stood proud and tall, strutting alongside Mal and daring anyone to try and attack them. Mal had a fierce look in her and strut, sword resting on her shoulders; she certainly looked like the heir to the Isle's throne if it ever existed. Uma was on the outside, walking along as if she was bored with the entire thing, and she truthfully was. However, the whole situation was anything but that. If this didn't work out, their freedom and lives were at stake, but previous encounters tended to work in their favor.

They entered the surroundings of the castle and ducked behind the hedges that lined the pathway up to the front door. They moved some branches out of their way and saw Jonas and another pirate walking around the castle exterior, twirling their swords in their hands and scanning the area around them.

"Great" Uma grumbled. "Now what do we do?"

"Shut it!" Jay whispered back.

Mal clenched her jaw and shut her eyes, knowing what had to be done. She wasn't thrilled with this turn of events, but it was the only option she could come up with. She handed Uma the bottle with the blue liquid.

"You need to knock them out."

"What? Why me?" she asked.

"Because they know you. They won't try and kill you right out of the gate. They'll do that with us."

"Let me think...no" Uma replied.

"You want your mother's necklace or not?" Ben shot at her, making her narrow her eyes at him.

"Fine" she conceded.

She got up from her crouched position, finger ready to spray. She walked up to Jonas, who was making his turn around the corner and walking alongside the front of the castle. He turned his attention to the figure walking towards him and recognized her.

"Uma?" he asked, a confused expression on his face. "What are ye doin' back here?"

"None of your business" she merely replied.

She pressed down on the pump twice in his face. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and closed shut. He dropped to the ground like a rock was tied around his torso and didn't move. Uma kicked his leg, but Jonas remained immobile. Uma stepped over his unconscious body and waited by the corner, ready for the next pirate.

A few moments later, the other pirate turned the corner, where he came face to face with the spray bottle. A blue mist hit him in the face, and he met Jonas' similar fate. He fell to the ground and became unconscious. Uma flipped her braids over her shoulder and headed back towards the group behind the hedges.

"Nice work" Ben told her, but she didn't acknowledge it.

"The coast should be clear. Let's go" Mal said, standing up.

They stood up and followed behind her towards the right side of the castle, where Mal knew Evie's bedroom was. The balcony hung above them, protruding over the side lawn and offering views of the side street. Luck worked in their favor, as someone was standing on it, her elbow resting on the railing and peering out over the distance. Mal looked around on the ground and found a decent size rock. She handed it to Jay, who took it aim and launched it up into the air over the railing.

"Huh...who's out there?" a feminine voice called. The figure looked over the railing, her hair falling down and covering her face.

"Evie?" Mal called out. "Is that you?"

"MAL!" Evie shouted. "Thank god you guys came!"

"Yeah, yeah. Save the formalities blueberry. Where's Harry?" Uma asked.

"He's in the basement somewhere, but I don't know where exactly."

"Are there any pirates down there?" Mal asked, a hopeful expression on her face hidden by the darkness of night.

"I don't think so. Mother only had two wandering the outside as far as I could tell."

Mal inwardly cheered. Their plan was going according to plan, no pun intended.

"Ok, Jay and Uma, you guys go into the basement and get Harry. Grab one of the pirate swords to give him in case he needs it."

"Got it" Jay said before turning and walking off. Uma shot Mal a glare, but Mal was quick to glare back at her, her eyes glowing green. Uma begrudgingly stalked after Jay towards the basement.

"We're coming to get you" Mal called back up to Evie.

"Just be careful" Evie warned them. "This place is crawling with pirates."

Mal and Ben walked away and turned towards the front of the castle, coming face to face with front doors. Knowing the Evil Queen, the door was most likely locked to prevent unnecessary intruders like themselves. Mal went over to the wall and started to brush her fingers over it as if she was trying to feel for something.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"I think Evie mentioned one time that they had a spare key nearby."

After a minute, she felt a brick that was slightly loose. She wiggled it side to side and broke it out of its slot on the wall. Inside of the space was an ancient, rusty key; Mal held it up with an amused smirk on her lips.

"The old bat never learns does she?"

She fitted the key into the keyhole and turned it, hearing a click. She pushed the door open and crept inside with Ben right on her heels. A cold draft blasted them in the face, causing Mal to shiver.

"Wow" Ben whispered in amazement. "This place is amazing."

"Correction...it was amazing. Now, it's just a dumping ground for dust" she whispered back.

The foyer had faintly-lit candles lined along the walls, casting shadows on the brick and floor. Mal's gaze was moving around the massive space until she saw a shadow of a pirate heading towards them. She quickly grabbed Ben's arm and dragged him down another hallway, tucking back into the shadows and darkness. Moments later, the sound of boots grew louder until it stopped right at the entrance of the hallway. The pirate looked down the hallway, shrugged his shoulders, and then resumed his normal pacing down the foyer.

Mal let out the breath she was holding in, relieved that the darkness managed to work in their favor. She bent over and slipped her heeled boots off. Ben gave her a quizzical look as she handed him her sword.

"What are you doing now?"

"I can't walk up the steps in these things or else we'll be heard."

They crept out of the hallway just in time to see another pirate go down the hallway across from them. Mal figured it must be getting late, which meant that all the pirates were heading off to bed before a possible shift rotation. Evil Queen always made sure she had ten hours of uninterrupted rest, and having pirates shuffling around downstairs would probably annoy her to no end.

They crept over to the stairs and began their ascent, constantly looking over their shoulder or railing to spot any rogue pirates. Mal jerked her head down a hallway at the top of the stairs and soon came to a stop in front of a lone door at the end of it.

"Evie?" Mal asked softly through the solid concrete door.

"Mal!" Evie whispered back, her voice muffled by the thick door. Mal could tell, however, that her voice was mixed with relief and excitement.

"How do we get you out? Is there a lock or something?" Ben asked.

"There's a deadbolt right above the handle."

Ben ran his fingers over the handle and found it. He unlatched it and opened up the door, coming face to face with Evie.

"Evie!" Mal softly shrieked, running over to hug her tightly, which Evie returned fervently.

"Thank god you guys came. I thought I was going to be stuck in here forever."

"We won't let that happen…ever. You're too important to us" Ben said, reaching out and giving her an uncharacteristic hug.

"What the hell happened? Tell us everything" Mal said, moving over to sit on the bed.

Evie went and shut the door, hoping to make sure that they wouldn't draw the attention of the pirates. She turned around and leaned against it, providing some line of defense. Ben sat next to Mal and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I don't know what happened. I was walking right next to you and then this pirate came out, grabbed me around the arms, and dragged me away. His hand was covering my mouth so I couldn't scream."

"I know how you were taken" Mal said, quickly brushing the previous statement off. "What is she planning? Did she tell you anything about it?"

Evie sighed and shook her head. "She refused to talk. All she told me was that once we left, she became the ruler. She offered the pirates the castle and everything she had in exchange for their service."

"Oh, so the old bat does have a trick up her sleeve" Mal said. "Let's hope that she'll slip up one day.

"What happened with Harry?" Ben asked her. "Last we saw of him was him dropping Jay to his knees and him flying out of the shop."

"I honestly don't know. When we found him, he was tied up and had a bloody nose. The last I saw of him was that he was dragged to the basement for 'future service'" she said, using air quotes.

"At least you're safe. Harry should be fine once we get back to Auradon."

"Speaking of Auradon, can we try and get back there?" Mal asked.

Evie turned around and opened the door. She stuck her head out and glanced down the hallway, sighing in relief when she found it completely deserted. Her mother must have thought that the bolt on the door would be enough to keep her trapped and didn't bother sending a pirate down to check on her. They crept out of the room and closed the door, bolting it shut as it previously was.

They crept down the stairs and saw an open path towards the front door. They made a beeline for the door until…

"And where do you think you're going?"

* * *

All three of them flinched and turned around to face Gonzo and Bonny staring at them, pirate swords in their hands. For now, it was three against two, but six more pirates emerged out of the various hallways and stood next to them, swords drawn as well. Evie gulped and Ben started to shake. Only Mal appeared to be unfazed, but Evie knew that this was a front.

"As much as we'd love to stay and chat" Mal said. "We need to be off. Toodles!" she said in a sing-song voice. She placed her hand on the door knob until she was interrupted again.

"But why?' Bonny asked, a wicked smile forming on her lips. "The party's just begun, and you three are the guests of honor." The group of pirates crept slowly closer to the three-member group, causing them to shuffle back slightly.

In a brave and confident move, Evie slipped her shoes off and held them up.

"Well party's over."

She threw one of her shoes at Bonny, hitting her square in the face. Bonny dropped the sword and covered her throbbing nose. Mal and Evie threw their shoes at the other pirates, causing a minor distraction. It was stupid and foolish, but it allowed them to throw open the door and run out of it, smacking straight into Uma, Jay, and a now-free Harry.

"Evie!" Harry shouted, picking her up in a hug and spinning her around.

"No time. We need to get out of here. Now" Mal warned, grabbing Jay's arm and moving quickly down the path.

"Why? What's the…oh shit" Uma said, her eyes growing wide at the gang of pirates now sprinting after them.

"EVERYONE RUN!" Ben shouted.

The group broke out in a sprint down Hell Street, the pirates chasing and shouting right behind them. The thick, cold air of the Isle covered them like a thick blanket, causing their exposed skin to be stabbed like a thousand needles were getting pressed into their skin. Hair was flying behind them, red coattails were flapping in the man-made breeze, and dirt was getting flung up from beneath their shoes. Evie turned her head over her shoulder and found the pirates keeping a good pace with them. They may have the head start on the pirates, but the pirates were trained well-enough to have a high level of stamina.

"EVERYONE SPLIT UP AND MEET BACK AT JJS!" Jay shouted.

Hell Street came to a fork, and the group diverged. Harry, Uma, and Evie were running down Woeful Way, running faster than they ever had before. Evie's lungs were starting to burn and felt like they were caught on fire, but fear and adrenaline kept her going and pressing forward. Her eyes were becoming dry and red from the cold air piercing them. She kept blinking in an effort to bring moisture to her eyes, but the moisture evaporated as quickly as it was formed.

"WHAT'S JJS?" Uma called out over the wind howling in her ears.

"I KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT WE NEED TO FIND SOMEWHERE SAFE RIGHT NOW!" Evie shouted back.

They ran onto a side street, skidding to an abrupt halt. Evie looked around, panting like a dog and hoping a shelter would magically appear out of thin air. She saw Curl Up and Dye on the corner, and she bolted towards it, Harry and Uma hot on her heels. She flung the door open and the group hurried inside, throwing the plastic door curtain aside. Evie quickly shut the door and locked it. She leaned against the door and slid down it, her legs and feet becoming jelly underneath her. She was panting heavily as if all the oxygen in her body was depleted. Her heart rate was skyrocketing, threatening to burst out of her chest and onto the floor in front of her.

After a few quiet minutes, her breathing and heart rate slowed down, and she felt much calmer than before. She ran her hand through her hair, smoothing the now frizzy hair down. She got up and threw aside the plastic curtain, finding Uma and Harry slouched in salon chairs.

"I think we lost them" she gasped out to the two pirates. "I've never been more scared in my life."

"I don't think I've ever run that much in my life" Uma said, fanning herself with her hand.

"At least we got ye back princess" Harry said, giving her a tired smile. "I don't know what would've happened if we lost ye."

Evie returned his smile with a tired one of her own. "I told you already, you're not going to lose me" she said firmly.

After a few more minutes of calm and quiet, Uma's voice piped up.

"What's JJS?"

"It's Jafar's shop. It's what we called it growing up. If we got chased by someone, he would shout it out and we would run and meet up there."

"Why not go back to Bargain Castle?"

"Because that's the first place they're going to go. We need to wait until they stop wandering around the place."

"But what about that Jafar douche?" Harry asked her. Jafar wasn't a lizard like Maleficent, and he was still very much alive.

"Well" Evie shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

They exited the main part of the salon and headed towards the door. Evie opened it up and poked her head out, looking up and down the street. When the coast was clear, she motioned for the others to come out, and they crept out of the store and headed left down the road. They turned onto a backstreet and soon came onto the street where Jafar's shop was. Three figures were sitting and standing in front of the store, and relief flooded their veins when it was the others. Jay was leaning back against the wall, while Ben and Mal were sitting on the ground.

"You guys ok?" Evie asked as she slipped her hand into Harry's, who rubbed circles on her knuckles with his thumb. They all looked out of breath and were clutching their sides.

"Yeah, we lost them back at the Creperie" Jay said. "What about you guys?"

"We hid inside Tremaine's place and waited it out there."

The group was out of breath and tired, but they were all in one piece, minus two pairs of shoes. Evie knew that she was going to need an all-day pedicure to recover from this huge dosage of exercise. She could already feel the blisters, dirt, and grime on the bottom of her feet, and she didn't dare look at them.

"What are we going to do now? I'm too anxious to fall asleep" Mal said.

"Let's head up to the castle and pack" Jay said firmly. "I have a feeling Carlos will be coming with the limo any time soon."


	29. Chapter 29: Home Sweet Home

**A/N**

 **Hello again everyone. For all the new followers, favorites, and visitors, welcome to the story. And for all the returners, welcome back.**

 **This was originally going to be the final chapter of the story; however, I had a last minute idea pop in my head, so the next chapter will be the final chapter of the story. But fret not! I do have a sequel in mind with some ideas floating around in my head. The sequel probably won't start until the beginning to mid-February as I adjust to my new semester. If there's any ideas you guys have for the sequel or if there's anything you wish to see, let me know.**

 **Enjoy the chapter and happy reading!**

* * *

The group wandered down the alleyway between the used furniture store and Jafar's Junk Shop, avoiding the trash cans and rodents that lined it. Evie kept stealing glances over at Harry, but saw his gaze turned down at the road beneath his pirate boots. At the end of the alleyway, Mal stuck her head out and looked up and down the main road, but saw it was completely deserted and covered in a layer of cold darkness and one or two piercing street lamps. Evie felt goosebumps crawl over her skin at the eerie chill that ran up and down her spine.

The group headed behind the robe shop and headed up the stairs, bracing for who or what may meet them at the top of it. They breathed a huge sigh of relief when they found that the castle was still as they had left it. Harry walked over and bent down to pick up his hook and brush off the dirt and dust collected on it.

"I guess we'll pack and wait for Carlos?" Evie asked to no one in particular.

The other five murmured an agreement and broke off to various rooms. Harry, Uma, and she went into Maleficent's room and proceeded to pack, no one speaking to each other. The truth was, what does one say after something like this? Whenever people went on vacation to the Summerlands in Auradon, they always came back and talked about how sad they were to leave. But could one say that about the Isle? The Isle did have a nostalgic feel for them, but no one dared rush back here if they were given the choice.

Evie looked up from her bag and looked at the sea witch's daughter. "Thanks, Uma" she said quietly.

Uma looked up from her bag and blinked at her, completely taken off guard. Villains never gave appreciation to others before, even if they were allies in a mischievous prank or plan. Uma gave her a slight nod, which Evie took as a positive sign. She zipped up her bag, threw her turquoise braids behind her shoulder, and exited the room, leaving Harry and Evie to themselves.

Harry was shuffling around the room, throwing items in his bag without a second thought or glance. His expression was blank, and Evie knew something was on his mind, but he wasn't going to talk. If there was another thing she disliked about him was how he completely shut himself off to everyone when he was upset or bothered by something. It often led to Evie sighing in defeat and burying herself under the covers.

She walked away from her bag and pressed her front to his back, wrapping her arms around his waist. The movement caused him to flinch and tense up, but he relaxed when he figured who it was.

"Harry?" she asked quietly. "Are you mad at me?"

Harry kept packing as if he never heard the question or if her arms slowed him down. Evie inwardly sighed and released her grip on his waist, moving over the other side of the bed to get his attention.

"Harry, can we please talk? Don't shut me out again."

Harry shrugged off her statement and zipped up his bag. He grabbed his hook off the bed, grabbed his bag, and stalked out of the room, leaving Evie alone in the room. She ran a hand through her frizzy blue locks, her heart starting to ache uncomfortably.

"Dammit" she sighed.

Harry going through a mood swing meant that they had to have a lengthy conversation about what caused his mood. This time, she knew they would be having a conversation about what she said back in her mother's castle. She shook her head, sighed, and went back to packing up her bags.

* * *

As Jay predicted, Carlos trudged up the stairs an hour later, holding Evie's mirror and looking like he was filled with relief and anxiety. He looked around and saw everyone sitting down, not speaking to each other or even glancing at one another. Evie and Harry were standing on opposite sides of the room keeping their distance from each other, and even Mal and Ben were sitting on opposite ends of the couch.

"Everyone alright?" Carlos asked with hesitancy in his voice.

"We're fine" Jay said, rubbing his face with his hand. "We just…you know…" he trailed off, giving Carlos a look. Carlos nodded his head, accepting what Jay was implying.

"Let's grab the bags and head down. Gil's waiting by the limo for us."

The group stood up, and the guys grabbed all the bags and descended down the stairs after Carlos. Uma picked up the bag of swords and followed after them, leaving Evie and Mal bringing up the rear. Once down the stairs, Mal quietly placed the door back over the entrance and gave it a nostalgic sigh. Being back brought back some good memories she had about the Isle, even though her new life was an upgrade. With a final glance, she linked her arm with Evie and followed after the rest of the group, leaving behind her home for possibly the last time.

"Everything alright with you?" Mal asked her gently. "I saw Harry giving you the cold shoulder back there."

Evie shrugged off what she said. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about it, or else I have to start calling you Carlos."

"Ok first off, you're really bad at dry humor. Second, you're still a terrible liar. I know you, and I know that something happened back at the castle that shouldn't have happened."

Evie hiccupped, and a single tear fell down her cheek. "I had to tell him I didn't love him and that it was all a stupid prank he fell for."

Mal turned and looked at her with a stunned expression. "Why in the hell would you say that?"

"M, it was either my happiness or his freedom. As much as I wanted to get off that damn island, so did he, and I already broke that promise to him once. How could I do that again to him?"

"But, did you at least tell him that you didn't mean it?"

Evie shook her head. "I didn't have the chance, not with my mother in the room, who told me to say it to him."

"Ok, but like, after?" Mal pressed on.

"Still didn't. He was dragged off to the basement and I was dragged back to my room. Even five minutes ago, he just blew me off."

The girls quietly made their way to the limo, where Jay was shutting up the trunk. The girls climbed through the open door and sat towards the back. Harry was sitting up front, looking out of the window, his stare refusing to break away from it. Uma grabbed a bottle of raspberry-flavored water and twisted the cap off, taking a long drink from it. Jay climbed in and shut the door behind him, giving Carlos the signal to start of the engine. The engine came to life, and Carlos pulled the limo out of the side street, heading back to Auradon.

* * *

With a click of the button, the golden bridge once again disappeared from their eyes. The roads turned into the lamp-lined streets of Auradon Central, guiding them back to Auradon Prep. The moon hung in the star-filled sky, indicating that it was still an early Sunday morning. The limo drove up the hill and smoothed to a stop in front of Auradon Prep, the entrance banner moving slightly with the breeze. Carlos killed the engine, and Gil placed the remote back inside the glove compartment. Four doors opened up, and all of them stepped out into a warm-aired night.

"Can you guys meet me this afternoon around four in my office? Also, can Uma and Evie meet me here at three for that thing at the museum?" Ben asked the group once all the bags were unloaded and sitting outside of the trunk.

The group muttered their agreements to the meeting, which caused Ben to sigh. They all knew that had a lot to talk about with this trip, but right now, everyone was too focused on getting sleep and putting this night behind them for a while.

Evie picked up her bags and moved over to where Mal was standing talking to Carlos. Harry gathered his bag and left the group behind, never looking back. He walked up the Avenues of Heroes and disappeared into the castle. Evie sighed again, and Mal turned to face her, a determined look in her eyes.

"You two are talking about this right now, whether he wants to or not."

"Mal, please don't…" but it was too late. She already called Gil over, who approached them with a skeptical look.

"What do you guys need from me?"

"Can you give Evie the key to your dorm?" Mal asked.

"Uh sure" he replied, fishing his key out of his pocket and giving it to her. "Is there any reason?"

"Nothing for you to be concerned with. I'll sleep in Ben's room tonight, and you can sleep in our dorm for the night" Mal said, handing Gil her key.

Gil grabbed the key, nodded his head, and walked back to grab Uma's bags.

"There. Now you have no excuse to not talk to him right now. And do not come back to the dorm until you two have worked this out or else I will personally deal with him."

Evie gave her a small, unsure smile. Mal may have gone to the extremes with this plan, but she really did care about the two of them. Plus, Evie felt that Harry would be easier to talk to than the purple-haired dragon, who could hold a grudge for ten years strong.

The rest of the group picked up their bags and followed Harry's path up to the school. Mal and Ben left them at the bottom of the stairs and walked down the corridor to his bedroom. The rest of the group ascended the stairs and went their separate ways down to the corridors to their own dorms. Evie followed behind Uma and Gil to her dorm, where Gil dropped her bags off and walked back down to Evie's dorm.

She opened the door and let him inside. "Please don't touch anything" she asked him, though her tone suggested this was a request.

He gave her a nod and sat down on the bed, running his hand over the sheets. They felt much lighter than the one in his dorm, but his dorm felt much bigger than the girls. Possibly because Evie had three racks of dresses in front of her bed closing off some of the dorm's space.

"Just make sure he's alright" he quietly told her, lifting his head to face her. "It may not look like it, but he's my best friend."

Evie gave him a small nod and shut the door behind her. She quietly walked down to the corridor and came to a stop in front of the door. She took a deep breath and weighed her options. She could run back to her dorm and deal with this problem another time, but if she waited, her relationship with the pirate could be destroyed and burned to the ground. If she went in now, it may mean a screaming match, but it would be over quickly.

She slipped the key into the keyhole and turned it. She slowly opened the door and poked her head in. The dorm was oddly empty, but the sound of running water told her that Harry was in the shower. She let herself in and placed her bag on the trunk before taking a seat on his bed, trying to calm down her racing nerves. The water turned off, and a few moments later, Harry came out of the bathroom, a tower wrapped tightly around his waist and water droplets falling off his hair.

"Hey" she said softly.

He looked up at her before turning to his dresser, completely ignoring her. He grabbed a pair of black sleep pants and walked back into the bathroom, shutting the door. Evie sighed and flopped back onto the bed in defeat, but she wasn't going to allow herself to be defeated this time. If there was one thing her mother taught her, it was to fight for what you wanted. A few moments later, Harry came out of the bathroom, almost smacking into Evie, who now stood in front of the door.

"Can ye move?" Harry asked her annoyed.

"Only if you promise to talk to me about this" she said sternly.

Harry nodded his head, and Evie moved out of the way. Unfortunately, she fell for Harry's trick. He climbed into bed and turned to face the wall away from her, shutting his eyes and pretending to sleep. This now was no longer a game to her. She huffed and stomped over to his bed and ripped the covers off. He shot up in bed and narrowed his eyes at her.

"DAMN YOU HARRY. TALK TO ME!"

"WHAT DO YE WANT ME TAE SAY?!" he shouted back at her, causing her to take a few steps back. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took deep breaths of his own, trying to calm his temper. He knew that Evie didn't deserve this treatment, but his pain and anger caused him to lash out at her.

"I didn't deserve that" she fired at him. "Why is your first instinct to always yell at me?"

Harry rubbed his face with his hand, massaging the stress out of it. Evie was right once again. Whenever something upset him, his first reaction was always to respond with anger. Conversations never started out soft and gently, but with fire and anger. He couldn't explain why he always lashed out as a first reaction.

"What do ye want me tae say?" he asked her, softer than before.

"I want you to tell me that you understand why I said what I said. You know damn well that I didn't mean it."

"Ye clearly said it without much thought" he shot at her. "Kinda makes a guy take a second thought."

"You know I only said it because of my mother. Why are you not getting this?!"

"BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE YE MEANT IT!" he roared at her before taking more deep breaths. When he spoke again, his voice was much more gentle and controlled.

"Up here" he pointed to his temple. "I know ye didn't mean it. But here" he pointed to his chest where his heart was. "It felt like ye did."

Evie's breath hitched in her throat at what he said. She struck the deepest insecurities he had when she said what she said. She was the first person he ever loved and she was the only person who saw him for who he was and encouraged him. With one statement, she fired a direct shot at them. Harry never wanted to feel like he was stupid, but there she was calling him stupid in front of everyone.

She walked over to the window and crossed her arms protectively over her chest, gazing out over the moonlit night. A few moments later, she heard shuffling of sheets and felt Harry's arms wrap around her. She leaned back into his embrace instinctively, and he tightened his grip around her. They stood in that embrace until Evie turned around to face him.

"Look, Harry. It was either my happiness or your freedom. I already left you there before, and I would never forgive myself if I left you there again" she said, her voice cracking.

He released his grip around her waist and moved back over to the bed. He took a seat with his head hanging low.

"Harry, please tell me how you're feeling. Don't keep this from me. Not this time."

He shook his head and kept his gaze down. He knew that if he looked into her piercing eyes, he would break down.

"Maybe ma' dad's right. Maybe we aren't right for each other."

"Is that what you think?" Evie asked him, her voice becoming strained.

"Maybe…I don't know."

"Have you ever bothered to think or ask I how felt?" she asked him, taking a seat next to him.

"I already got ma' answer from ye. I know yer mother doesn't like me, and ma' dad doesn't like you. Maybe it's better if we split."

Evie sighed. "You may want that, but I certainly don't." she reached down and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "You're right. My mother doesn't like you, but her opinion means nothing to me anymore, same with your dad's. I can make up my own mind, Harry, on who I want to date, and I wanted to date you. Would my life be easier with a prince? Probably. But I didn't fall in love with a prince. I fell in love with a pirate."

"But what ye said…"

"What I said was a complete lie in order to save you. Harry, of course I love you and I would shout it on top of Castle Beast if I could. I'm sorry I said what I said, but I was only thinking what was best in that moment."

"So ye didn't mean it?"

"Absolutely not. Harry, you're sharp as a whip, you're devastatingly handsome, and you have the heart of a king."

He looked up at her and saw the love and adoration she had for him in her eyes, twinkling like fairy dust. Out of all the people in his life, she was one to stand by him and not ask for anything in return except him. Through everything they faced, she stood by him and defended him, even sacrificing herself to save him.

"How much do ye love me?" he asked her, a small smile on his lips.

She leaned in closer to his face. "More than you could possibly know."

She pressed her lips to his softly, savoring the slight mixture of salt on them. Harry responded and pressed his lips back to her in complete love and adoration. He released their hands and pulled her onto his lap deepening the kiss. Her hands ran up his naked chest and tangled in his hair, while his pressed into her lower back, moving her closer to him.

He pulled apart from her and looked into her eyes, catching his breath.

"Stay with me taenight?" he asked her breathlessly.

She reached up and ran the back of her fingers down his cheek, feeling the slight stubble on it.

"I have no better place to be" she replied.

She pressed her lips back to his before they fell back on the bed and lost themselves in the moment.

* * *

Evie, Harry, Mal, Uma, and Ben all stood in the foyer of the Museum of Cultural History, waiting for the security guard to return from his lunch break. Uma was tapping her foot quite aggressively against the tile, causing Mal to rub her temples to massage the migraine that was forming. A door opened up, and the guard emerged from a side room, doing a double take at all the people in front of him.

"Your majesty" the guard said, bowing slightly. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to remove an item from this place. After reevaluation, I've decided that it's no longer much of a threat to Auradon society."

The guard stood there, blinking at Ben who might as well grown two heads. It was rare for an item to be donated to the museum, but it was completely unheard of to take an item out of it. The royals all donated special items to the museum and never asked for them in return.

"I assume Fairy Godmother knows about it?"

Ben nodded his head. "She does."

The guard looked at them intently, as if he were judging their true motives. He finally looked at them with a satisfied look on his face. "Alright. Follow me please."

Uma quickly caught up to the guard and matched his pace, eager to retrieve the necklace again. Mal broke Evie out of her grip with Harry and fell back behind the rest of the group.

"I take it everything went ok?" she asked as they passed the Hall of Scrolls.

Evie looked at her with a sly smile. "Better than ok. He's working on his temper, but everything's alright at this point."

"Ok, I do not need details, but I'm happy for you" Mal said, giving Evie's hand a squeeze.

"We just put this exhibit up for your field trip for History of Auradon" the guard explained over his shoulder.

Scattered around the Relics of Magic exhibit were displays of all the magical artifacts ever known in Auradon History. In front of them were little placards that identified each object and the significance it held for Auradon and the region it came from. Harry was looking intently at Cinderella's glass slipper on the far side of the room, while Evie and Mal were gazing at the enchanted rose from Belle. The petals were all intact and were a rich, vibrant red, as if the curse never happened before. Evie reached out her fingertips and ran them lightly over the glass.

"Please do not touch anything" he said, narrow his eyes at her. Evie turned a light shade of pink and scampered over to where Harry was, where she buried her face in his chest out of embarrassment. This was probably the first time she got in trouble for something petty.

The guard punched a few buttons on a keypad, and the glass container around Ursula's necklace slowly descended into the pedestal. He grabbed the necklace and handed it over to Ben, who carefully tucked it into his palm.

"Is there anything else you need out of here?" the guard asked.

Ben looked at the others, who looked slightly dejected. They were trying to mask it by looking at the various objects, but Ben could tell they were upset about Uma getting the necklace.

"Actually" he said, capturing their attention. "Can we get her spell book out of the museum?" he asked, looking directly at his queen.

"The spell book? But she voluntarily handed it over to our care."

"And I'm asking if she can have it back" Ben shot back, standing a little taller to show who was in charge.

"Of course" the guard said, conceding to the king. He punched a few more buttons on the keypad and the glass container descended into the pedestal. He retrieved the book and handed it back to Mal with a bow. She took it and opened it, running her fingers over the aged parchment that contained every evil spell known to man. Evie could swear she saw a tear fall out of Mal's eye.

Ben thanked the guard for his help as he punched the buttons on the keypad again, sealing up the now empty pedestals. The group exited out of the room where Ben slipped the necklace to Uma, who took it and clasped it around her neck. Ben grabbed Evie's arm, getting her attention.

"Keep the mirror and the hook" he told her, also looking at Harry.

Evie raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"You guys helped me out when I wanted it, whether you guys wanted to or not. You really helped me back there."

"But why keep all these things when you asked us to turn them over?" she asked him.

"Think of it as my repaying you for helping me. All the others have special items from their parents, but you guys had to turn them over. It's not fair to you guys to lose the last links you have to your parents."

"Ben, how many times do we have to tell you? We're never going to be like the others here, and it's perfectly fine."

"I know, but think of it as a little notch closer to them" he said, flashing her his pearl-colored smile.

The group exited out of the museum and headed towards the royal carriage parked out front. The footman opened up the door and helped the group inside. Once situated, the footman hopped up front with the driver. The carriage jerked to a start and headed down the street back to Auradon Prep.

"Just promise you guys won't use any magic with them. Just because you guys got them out for free does not mean you can do whatever you want with them."

The group nodded their heads and promised him they won't use them for magic. Unbeknownst to them, Uma's fingers were wrapped together behind her back.

The carriage slowed down to a stop in front of Auradon Prep, where the footman helped them out. They headed up to the entrance hall, where Ben turned to face all of them.

"I'll see you guys in my office in an hour."

The others nodded their heads and bid their goodbyes, breaking off into different directions in the castle. Uma grasped the necklace in her fingers and looked down at it, a devious smile curling on her lips.

 _Beastie Boy has no idea what's in store for this place…_


	30. Chapter 30: Happily Ever After?

**A/N**

 **Oh my gosh guys, how have you been? It's been almost two weeks since my last update, but I hope this will be worth the wait. This is sadly the last chapter of this story, but the sequel will be coming out in a few weeks.**

 **I hope you all enjoy and happy reading!**

* * *

An hour later, the group were scattered around Ben's office, feasting on strawberry scones and oolong tea sent as a party favor from Northern Wei. The curtains were thrown open, allowing the room to bask in the warm embrace of the sunlight. Evie delicately placed her cup back on her saucer, savoring the oolong taste of the tea. She had grown fond of the tea and spices that came from Northern Wei, as they were a sharp contrast to the muddy coffee she grew up with.

"Thank you guys for coming" Ben said after swallowing a bite of scone with some whipped cream on it.

"Figured it would be wise to follow a king's order" Uma replied. Mal looked at her with a slight skeptical expression on her face. Even since coming to Auradon, she never willingly said anything like this.

"Anyways, I think we have to talk about what happened on the Isle."

Evie shuffled her feet uncomfortably. This was a conversation they had to have or else their trip would've been for nothing. Even though they may have escaped narrowly, the group knew that the Evil Queen had something up her sleeve. Evie may have been a simple side plot, but this was going to be something much bigger than her kidnapping.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Ben" Evie sighed, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder. "Mother wouldn't budge on what she was planning."

"Do you think it has something to do with getting off the Isle?" Carlos asked.

"It's the only logical plot" Mal replied back. "Think about what we all learned growing up. What was the number one goal of every villain on the Isle?"

"But still, they can't get off" Gil pointed out, in a rare moment of intelligence. "The barrier, remember?"

Gil knew all too well about the barrier. He was one of the few pirates who tried to escape and slammed a tiny rowboat in the barrier, knocking him off balance and falling into the water. Lucky, Harry was smart enough to follow behind him and pull him back to safety, no matter how hilarious it was.

Unbeknownst to him though, not everyone knew about Carlos and his little battery pack that blasted a hole inside the barrier, nor did they know that Mal was able to break through the barrier twice with magic. But even back then, those were isolated incidents. Taking down the whole barrier would be quite a feat that only the strongest magic could do.

"I still don't see a problem" Uma said, shrugging her shoulders. "Who cares what's she's planning?" Mal's ears perked up at the tone in her voice, as if she was hiding something they didn't know.

"Of course you wouldn't. This has nothing to do with you or your mother. Nothing matters unless something's in it for you."

"Aww" Uma replied in fake sweetness, placing her hand over her chest. "That's so sweet for you to say...princess" she said the last word with spite in her voice.

"Anyways" Ben interrupted before this got out of hand. "Do you think you could use the mirror to keep track on her from time to time?" he asked, looking Evie squarely in the face.

"I could, but I thought you said magic wasn't allowed to be used" she said, her lips curling up into a sly smile.

"I'll look one way if you look the other" he said, clasping his fingers behind his head and leaning back in his chair. Evie gave him a sly wink and gently patted her heart purse, where she had safely stashed the mirror after the museum trip.

"Evie's keeping the mirror?" Jay asked. "I thought she turned it over to the museum."

"She did, but I allowed you guys to keep one of the items you donated as a token of my appreciation" Ben explained. "Speaking of which, I don't think you guys brought anything over with you, so if there's anything I can do for you guys to make up for it, just let me know."

Carlos nodded at Ben, while Jay gave him a smile. Gil, however, raised his hand, as if he was in the classroom.

"What about Harry? Why doesn't he get anything?"

"He already did. In a few days, one of the guards was going to ask him to turn over his hook, so he gets to keep it."

"But what about Uma?"

"GIL!" Mal hissed at him.

"What?"

"Ok, moving on from that" Ben said, giving Gil a sideways glance. "I know I told you guys this multiple times, but I cannot say how much I appreciate you guys for helping me out on this. I know you all had initial reluctance" he said, his eyes flicking towards Evie.

"Don't mention it" Evie returned.

"If it's any consolation, you guys did give me some interesting ideas for the future and their help."

"Care to tell us?" Mal asked him amused, even poking him in the shoulder.

"All in good time" he said coolly. "I do need to run it by Evie and Uma later on, but we can worry about that at a later time."

Evie gave him a nod, mentally going through her schedule. She had fittings later this evening, tutoring sessions with Harry, sewing, and a multitude of other things, but she figured she would find time for Ben and his pitch meetings.

"Now, the final thing" Ben said, looking at Evie and Harry directly, resting his chin on his clasped hands. "How are you two holding up?"

The couple looked at each other before turning around and giving him identical shrugs. Sure, Evie was shaken up by what happened and Harry suffered a minor physical injury, but it was nothing compared to the abuse their parents doled out every day. It wasn't like being kidnapped or getting a bloody nose was a rare occurrence on the Isle.

"We're fine. Just a little shaken up I suppose" she said, slipping her hand and lacing her fingers with Harry's.

"If there's anything you two need from me, you know where to find me. I'm sure my mother would be delighted to help you out as well."

"Speaking of your mother..." Evie said over the alarm ringing out from her purse. She pulled her phone out and muted the alarm. "I have her final fitting after this, and I need to meet her.

"Of course" Ben said, standing up. He gave Evie an uncharacteristic hug and Harry a clap on the shoulder. "Thank you both for everything."

"Don't mention it" Evie said, waving her hand in front of him. "You've already done enough for me" she said, her eyes flickering to Harry and her hand squeezing his a little tighter.

With their final goodbyes, they exited the office and headed down towards the dorm, ready to meet the former queen.

* * *

When she and Harry entered the dorm room, they found Doug typing away on a laptop and having a conversation with the former queen, who was sitting on one of the plush chairs by the window. The sound of the door opening caught their attention. Even though Doug and Evie were broken up, Doug remained one of her business partners, handling the finance portion of it.

Evie placed her purse down on the bed and gave Belle an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about the delay. Ben kept us for a while."

"No worries dear. I know how long meetings can go. Besides, I had no previous engagements today anyway" she said, giving Evie a comforting smile.

Evie headed into the closet and came out a few moments later holding a black garment bag covering the dress Belle would be wearing to Neverland.

"Here you go" Evie said, handing her the dress. "You can slip it on in the bathroom or closet."

Belle nodded and headed into the bathroom to change. Evie walked back into the closet to pull out the foot box, while Harry flopped down onto her bed, causing her purse to fall off. He buried his face into her pillows and messed up the sheets, causing Evie to groan in mock agitation. He took a deep inhale of her pillows, savoring the scent of her hair. It was always a mixture of vanilla and apple blossom, a lethal and intoxicating combination.

A few minutes later, Belle emerged out of the bathroom in her golden dress. Harry even sat up and did a double take of the sight in front of him. Her dress was similar to Mal's original blue and gold Cotillion dress, which Evie used as inspiration since Belle gushed about how much she loved it. Instead of the blue stitching on the bodice and blue ruffles on the skirt, it was all solid gold, and the bodice was covered in diamonds that reflected the light.

Evie let out an excited sigh. If you were to ask her, this was her hardest challenge yet, and that was including Audrey's birthday dress from a few weeks ago. Evie could've never imagined that a year off the Isle would make her the most sought-out designer in all of Auradon. At least she could thank her mother for all the years of sewing lessons.

"You know" Evie said as she circled Belle, who was standing on the foot box. "I don't say this enough, but _damn_ am I good or what?"

"Ye...ye made that?" Harry asked, his voice a mixture of disbelief and amazement.

"The one and only" Belle replied, never breaking her gaze from the mirror. "Evie's made a lot of dresses for the royals around here."

"In fact" Doug said, breaking into their conversation. "She got two orders this morning from Northern Wei and Bayou de Orleans. Apparently, Mulan needs an outfit for the annual warrior tournament and Tiana needs a dress for when she visits us over here."

Evie finished tying up the ribbons on the bodice and headed over to her desk. She picked up the two notes and read over them carefully.

"Cape...floral pattern obviously..." she trailed off, making her thoughts known. "Seems easy enough." She set the notes down and gave Doug a dignified nod, who smiled back at her and went back to typing.

"You know dear" Belle said, turning around to face her. "Have you ever considered moving into a separate location?"

Evie took a few steps back at this question. It had crossed her mind once or twice to expand it into a new location. A boutique was available for sale next to Lumiere's Bistro in Auradon Central, but she never had the opportunity to get a good look at the location.

"I don't know...maybe" she trailed off.

"I'm sure Mal would appreciate having the space back" Belle said with a small laugh, pointing over towards Mal's side.

Her side was filled with three racks full of dresses and clothing pieces that it made the dorm smaller than it really was. The desk was covered in baubles and shoes that Dizzy had made, and her fireplace mantle was covered in pinned-up pictures of sketches and fabric swatches. Evie let out a sigh, knowing Belle did have a point. The room was often in the middle of chaos and fabric swatches that she couldn't remember the pattern on the carpet.

"Mal's not the problem. She's been spending more time in Ben's room these days" she replied, giving her a wink. Belle gave her a knowing smile, and she swore she saw Harry's eyes light up at her statement.

"But" Doug said, turning around to face them. "Belle does have a point. I can't remember the last time I saw the surface of this desk. Plus, think of all the possibilities a new location can bring."

"Like what?" Evie asked him.

"Like a..." Doug got out before giving her a stumped look. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, trying to come up with a reason and argue his point.

"Like" Belle interrupted, stepping off the box and placing her hand on his shoulder. "You could have a place to properly store the outfits and not out in the open or in your closet. You could also start an affordable, ready to wear line and still keep this business. I'm sure a lot of little girls would love to wear something made by you that's not a fancy ball gown."

"Well..."

"Yeah" Doug said, his eyes lighting up and following her train of thought. "You could make every day wear and sell them in the store."

"And, I hear Dizzy's been spending time making some matching jewelry and shoes to go with all your outfits. Maybe you could sell complete outfits for everyone."

"I don't know" Evie sighed. "It all sounds so great when you say it, but can I even afford it?"

"Let's see it then" Bell said. Doug went back to type a few keys on the keyboard before making multiple clicks of the mouse. He pulled up a spreadsheet of all the business expenses.

"Ok, once we collect from Belle today and deduct the estimate for the potential materials for Tiana and Mulan, we should have...this much" Doug said, highlighting the last tab on the spreadsheet.

Belle leaned over and her jaw dropped. This caused Harry and Evie to head over to the desk and look over her shoulder. Once they saw what she saw, their mouths and faces had similar expressions.

"I have how much?!" she asked in disbelief.

"Damn princess. How much ye chargin' for a dress?" Harry asked.

"She gets most of her expenses from Audrey. That girl has such demands that Evie can charge a high amount" Doug replied.

"Plus, most of these are handmade, so add in labor costs and she makes a very nice profit" Belle seconded.

"I don't know...what do you think Harry?" she asked, looking at him.

Harry pondered her question. If she opened up this boutique, it would mean more time away from each other, which could be hurtful to their relationship and his studies. But, he also knew that he couldn't be the jerk to crush her dream. This was what she wanted to do all her life, and he couldn't be the one to crush it.

"What about us?" he asked softly.

"Don't worry. Nothing will change between us. If we have to, we can have nights at the store. I assume I'll have my own office" she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Harry's lips curled up into a smile.

"If ye want tae do it, go for it princess" he said. Evie let out another excited squeal and pressed her lips to his.

"We'll have to see the location, but I think we have enough to fix it up if needed" she said, her voice becoming more resolute. She was one step closer to becoming the top designer in Auradon, and with Harry's blessing, she had the green light.

"Then it's settled" Belle said. Now, let's finish this dress."

* * *

A gray fog settled at the base of red high heels clicking against the pavement as the figure made her way down the dark road. A cold and biting breeze blew across her skin, causing her to hitch up the white fur more snuggly over her shoulders to shield herself. She entered the gates of a gothic castle and caught the attention of the pirate wandering around the front door. He hurriedly opened the door to the castle and let the intruder in.

"Where the hell is she?" an agitated British accent asked to the pirates assembled in the foyer.

One by the side of a hallway whistled at her and jerked his head towards the hallway. She followed after him and stopped in front of a door to a room off the hallway. She opened the door and saw three figures sitting around in a circle-chair formation.

"How in the hell did you let them escape!? Cruella shrieked at the Evil Queen, slamming the door behind her.

"Save the routine, de Vil" Jafar cut her off. "We already gave her that treatment."

"You had them in the palm of your hand, and you let them escape? What good are these pirates if they can't do a simple ass job?"

"If you would give me a minute, I would explain" Evil Queen shot back. "Besides, that was rich coming from you. You let puppies escape from your palm."

Cruella gave her a scowl before taking a seat directly across from the Evil Queen next to a figure covered in a black hood. She pulled her white fur around her closer at the draft in the candle-lit room.

"Who's the hooded figure?" Cruella asked, jerking her head to the left.

Evil Queen's lips curled into a devious smile as the figure reached two gloved hands and removed the hood. A shock of turquoise braids fell out of a messy bun, and Cruella could've sworn her heart and breathing stopped altogether. Uma sat there unfazed by the piercing stares of the three legendary villains in front of her. This chair was her throne, and the villains were her servants.

"This bitch is back?" Cruella asked once her voice returned to her.

"She's back because she's going to help us" Evil Queen explained.

"How in the hell is she going to help us?" Cruella fired back. "Last time I checked, she left us for that dump."

"I was never against you or your cause" Uma quipped back. "I merely pulled a good girl act to get myself back to Auradon. I already got my reward for it" she said, fidgeting with the seashell necklace around her neck.

Cruella's eyes softened at her statement, and she leaned back into the chair, crossing her legs.

"Consider me intrigued" she said, clasping her red-gloved hands together. "What is she going to do for us?"

"Uma here is one of the advisers for the King. She has access to all the important items we'll need" Evil Queen explained.

"How did she even get back here?"

Uma gave her a mischievous smile. "Ben gave Mal back her spell book, and since I have the power to do magic in Auradon, I memorized a spell to get me back over here. The barrier only prevents us from leaving, not from returning."

"That still doesn't explain how she'll get back to Auradon" Cruella pointed out.

"And that is when our little friend Jafar will step in" Evil Queen calmly explained.

Jafar reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a golden object. He handed it over to Evil Queen, who held up in front of her, an excited smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. This was the key to their success.

"Are you sure this works?" she asked him.

"It should" Jafar explained. "The goblin who brought it to me explained what it was, and since then, I have been working to fix it. I believe my efforts will pay off."

"What is it anyway?" Cruella asked, squinting her eyes at the remote.

"This, you British crumpet, is a remote to the barrier around this place. Once clicked, it will open up the bridge and let us cross over."

Cruella sharply inhaled. "How did you even get possession of it?"

"Oh, Cruella" Uma sighed. "The villain children have been back over here multiple times. They came back almost a year ago and a few months ago to rescue back the King. Their first trip back was when they lost the remote."

"So, you're saying" Cruella said, standing up and smoothing down her black-fitted dress. "That we can get off this Isle right now and we're wasting time on a pathetic plot that will backfire?"

"Not quite" Evil Queen said. "We must strike when the moment is convenient."

"And you're saying this right now is not convenient?" Cruella asked exasperated.

"According to Uma, my former daughter has been tracking me with the shard of mirror I gave her. Until Uma can successfully steal it from her, we cannot plan or talk about our revenge."

"And how exactly is Uma going to get the mirror?" Jafar asked.

"She'll do it like she did last time. Once the barrier was opened, she quickly jumped through it and transformed like her mother with her necklace. She slipped under water and wasn't detected. She'll simply repeat the plan and go about her daily business. I'm sure Evie will slip up like the dimwit she is."

"Your plan relies on an eighteen year old girl. Do you think she can even pull this off?"

"Oh, because you guys were so successful the first time?" Uma shot at her. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you guys could've pulled off the first plan."

Cruella narrowed her eyes at Uma, but deep down, she was impressed with how she stood up to them. Uma was a true villain, never taking anyone's crap lightly. Cruella would even consider Uma her own daughter if not for the blue hair and the shrimp smell.

"So, until then, we're still stuck here?" Cruella asked, sighing in defeat.

"Only for a few more measly days. It's been twenty years, Cruella. I can wait a few more days. This time, the plan will go without a hitch. They will regret ever crossing us."

All four of them laughed wickedly, their laughs echoing off the walls. With Evil Queen at the helm, the pirates at her disposal, and Uma working as a double agent, her plan was ready to take off. Auradon would never know what hit them. Evil Queen tossed Uma the remote and gave her a knowing look.

The other three got up from their seats and left the room, heading off into the dark and cold night. Evil Queen stood up and headed up to the top balcony of her castle off her bedroom. She stood there, staring intently at the sliver of lights of Auradon. After all these years, this was going to be her moment. No one would dare question or stand up to her again. Maleficent had failed them, but she wouldn't. This was going to be her time to retain the throne.

"Oh, Auradon" she playfully sighed. "You're going to regret leaving us here. You'll never know what is coming for you."

With one final look, she swept back her cape and headed back down the stairs. Revenge was going to be sweeter than her poison apples.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank all the reviewers, the favorites, the followers, and all the guests and members who have read and supported this story. No matter if you followed from the very beginning or joined later on, I love all of you and appreciate all your support. Without you guys, I never would have managed to write this. I did go through a few days where I lost complete interest in the Descendants series, but after blasting the soundtrack for the second movie and dancing to it, I got my inspiration and excitement back.**

 **When the sequel drops, I will be making a posting on this book to check it out. It won't be out for a few weeks as I settle into my last semester on university, which is exciting and terrifying all in one. Once I get settled, the story will come out. This chapter does include some foreshadow of events you'll see in the second book, so I hope you're excited. I may be posting a future one-shot so be on the lookout for that!**

 **I love you all and I hope you have enjoyed the story as much as I had writing it. I'll see you all later!**


	31. Red Apples and Silver Hooks Update

Hello everyone! How have you been? I know for me, my life has been a whirlwind of graduation parties, job interviews and the start of a new job I absolutely love and have a passion for.

I know it's almost been a year since this story was first published, and I honestly never expected it to be as big and loved as it has been. I want to thank each and every one of you who have read this story and fell in love with it. Without all of you, I never would have been driven to create a story. My writing was never one to be shared, but I know how loving and accepting the community is, and I love how all of you were open to giving my story a chance. I seriously cannot thank you guys enough, and if I could travel around the world to personally thank each and every one of you, I would.

In regards to the sequel, I still plan on having it come out. However, like most of us, I freaked out when _Descendants 3_ was announced and the story line and characters that emerged from it. I do plan on the sequel coming out; however, I plan on waiting until _Descendants 3_ comes out before the story starts to be published and take shape. I know some things from there I want to be in the story so much (especially Mal's dad and how he takes a role in the series). So be not afraid, the sequel will be coming out in some months' time once _Descendants 3_ comes out.

So, what can we expect from the sequel? As _Descendants 3_ is possibly the last movie in the series, my sequel may be the last book I do for the series (or not, maybe I'll continue it with them becoming adults and ruling the kingdom?). R.O.A.R will be making its appearance, the rise of the villain parents, Uma's role in the series, the final battle (if it's the last book), Mal's dad and his role, more daily life, and Evie's new fashion business emerging and the role it plays on her relationship with Harry.

In the meantime, I do have some plans of one-shots coming out. I got one request from a fan for the first time Evie and Harry met (which I loved and definitely have started writing for, maybe even turn it into a series?), another request for their break-up (I know, sadness all around), and various one-shots like Harry's birthday in Auradon and other random pop-up moments that I come up with or if you guys come up with (my inbox is always open to your suggestions and ideas and could be a story if feasible).

Be on the lookout for the first one-shot of Harry meeting Evie for the first time, which should be coming out near the end of October or the beginning of November, depending on my schedule and other random life moments. I have a lot of ideas and moments for it.

In the meantime, I want to thank you all again for your love of this story, and I look forward to seeing you all again when the sequel finally comes out.

-iSporticus1234


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